11 February 2020 - Sinn Féin to try to form a coalition after electoral success
Irish election yields a three-way near tie — and a Sinn Féin surge
Riley Beggin (Vox, 09/02/2020)
Exit polls show Ireland’s three major political parties are virtually tied after the general election, a result that revealed waning support for center-right ruling party Fine Gael and dramatic gains for the left-wing party, Sinn Féin, which has seen its fortunes rise after successfully tapping into public frustrations over health care and skyrocketing housing prices.
The votes will be counted throughout Sunday and official results are expected early this week. Exit polls indicate the leading party Fine Gael has 22.4 percent of the vote, Sinn Féin has 22.3 percent, and Fianna Fáil, the center-left main opposition party, has 22.2 percent. However, given those exit polls have a margin of error of 1.3 percentage points, all three parties are essentially tied.
Spectacular Sinn Féin victory reshapes Ireland's political landscape
Pat Leahy, Fiach Kelly, Harry McGee (The Irish Times, 09/02/2020)
Sinn Féin candidates stormed to a series of spectacular victories in general election counts, reshaping Ireland’s political landscape as party leaders begin to turn their attention to how the next government might be formed.
Though many seats remain to be filled and counts will continue this morning, a hung Dáil, which will be dominated by three big parties – Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael – is inevitable.
Sinn Féin candidates all over the country won huge victories, with many elected on the first count with huge surpluses, catapulting the party into the front rank of Irish politics and making it a contender for government. Fine Gael seems certain to suffer losses, while Fianna Fáil looks set to be the largest party in the new Dáil, analysts were projecting last night.
Sinn Féin declares victory in Irish general election
Rory Carroll (The Guardian, 11/02/2020)
Sinn Féin has declared victory in Ireland’s general election and called for talks with other main parties to form a coalition government.
Its leader, Mary Lou McDonald, urged Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to start negotiations with the republican party as the scale of its breakthrough confirmed a realignment of Irish politics.
“Sinn Féin has won the election. We have won the popular vote,” McDonald said, as counting of votes to fill seats in Dáil Éireann, parliament’s lower house, continued in constituencies across the country.
What does the Irish election result mean for Brexit?
Lisa O'Carroll (The Guardian, 10/02/2020)
Sinn Féin won the most first-preference votes in Irish general election, delivering a shock to the country’s political landscape after decades of domination by the centrist rivals Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.
However, the fragmented results will produce a hung parliament with no party close to 80 seats, meaning there could be weeks – possibly months – of negotiations between party leaders before a government is formed.
Whatever happens, Leo Varadkar the Fine Gael prime minister who broke the Brexit impasse in a summit with Boris Johnson in the Wirral in October, is unlikely to survive, forcing a new set of politicians on Downing Street and Brussels just as the critical next phase of Brexit talks begin.
What's Next for Ireland After Its Seismic Election Result
Ciara Nugent (Time, 10/02/2020)
Ireland’s election has delivered a shock result, with Irish nationalist party Sinn Féin winning the most first-preference votes and beating out two center-right parties that have governed for almost a century.
Sinn Féin, which campaigns for the reunification of the Republic of Ireland and the U.K. region of Northern Ireland, has won 24.5% of first preference votes – an increase of 10.7% from its vote share in 2016.
Fine Gael, the party of current prime minister Leo Varadkar, got 20.9% of the vote, while its traditional rivals Fianna Fáil got 22.2%.