Irish election too close to call as nationalist Sinn Fein stuns establishment as possible kingmaker
Polls have closed in Ireland’s general election and with no party securing enough seats to lead a government, confusion abounds as voters wait to see which parties will agree to do business with each other to form a coalition.
An Ipsos MRBI exit poll published by Ireland’s state broadcaster RTE at 10pm shows FG, SF and FF in close tie with statistically insignificant difference of 22.4, 22.3 and 22.2 per cent of the vote respectively.
A Sinn Fein surge in the run up to election day looks to have translated into votes at the ballot box, potentially allowing party leader Mary Lou McDonald to head into post-election discussions with some serious clout — and possibly even form a coalition with the Green Party, the Social Democrats and Independents.
If the exit poll is accurate, the outcome will pose a major conundrum for FF/FG, which have both vowed never to enter a coalition with SF, citing its historic ties with the IRA — but who will also be reluctant to give up power. If either submits to forming a coalition with McDonald, they would be breaking a major pre-election promise. To make matters more complicated, FF/FG have also said they will not go into a coalition with each other, either.
No party was expected to win enough seats to lead a government by themselves, but various theoretical coalition options have been speculated on in recent weeks, including a FF/SF government or a FF coalition with the Greens and/or Independents, with FF leader Micheal Martin as Taoiseach (prime minister).
There is also the possibility of a minority government being formed through a ‘confidence and supply’ agreement with another party. Ireland’s current Fine Gael government has been sustained by a confidence and supply agreement with Fianna Fail — but Saturday’s results could possibly see that situation flipped.
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Irish election too close to call as nationalist Sinn Fein stuns establishment as possible kingmaker