The Irish Prime Minister, Simon Harris, has announced his decision to dissolve Parliament and call early elections for November 29. Harris, who took over from Leo Varadkar as leader of the democratic party Fine Gael last May, has seized the favorable momentum in the polls and the decline of Sinn Féin, the former political arm of the IRA.
The elections were initially scheduled for March 2025, although there had been speculation for several months about early elections, which will mark the end of a year characterized by 64 general elections worldwide, in addition to those held for the European Parliament.
Fine Gael regained positions in June with the momentum of Simon Harris, 38, known as the "Tik Tok politician" for his presence on social media and his ability to connect with young voters. Housing, immigration, and the cost of living are the three main concerns of the Irish people, and although progress has been limited, Harris enjoys high popularity, with over half of the Irish approving of his work.
Fine Gael leads the polls with 25% of the vote intention, compared to the centrist Fianna Fáil of Micheal Martin, its partner in the current Government coalition. Sinn Féin, the most voted party in the 2020 elections, has fallen to third place with 18%, dragged down by a series of sexual scandals and internal tensions that have put its leader Mary Lou McDonald in a very compromised position.
At 55, the successor to the historic Gerry Adams was on the brink of making history by becoming Ireland's first female Prime Minister, alongside the current First Minister of Northern Ireland and Sinn Féin Vice President Michelle O'Neill. However, a series of events throughout October have led to Sinn Féin's decline after reaching a peak of 37% popular support with Mary Lou McDonald, who aimed to leverage the republican momentum to push for a reunification referendum in this decade.
Two sexual scandals emerged in October and have put the party in a very compromised position. The first case involves Michael Monagale, a former member of the communication team, found "guilty" of 14 charges of inciting sexual activity with minors. The second case is that of former senator Niall Ó Donngaile, who resigned from his position last year citing "health issues," now accused of sending "inappropriate texts" to a minor whom he accompanied while campaigning door-to-door.
Sinn Féin has also been shaken by two high-profile resignations in recent weeks: MP Patricia Ryan left the party amid accusations of "censorship," and Brian Stanley did the same citing harassment suffered in recent months. Both have announced that they will run as independents in the upcoming elections.