Simon Harris faces backlash after public encounter with voter

In the Republic of Ireland, just days before the upcoming elections on a Friday, the political landscape shifted due to a public incident involving Simon Harris, the Prime Minister. During a supermarket visit north of Cork, Harris had a tense exchange with Charlotte Fallon, a voter advocating for better support for individuals working with disabled people. This encounter was captured on video and widely shared on social media, leading to a potential decline in Harris's popularity. Such an incident comes at a time when Sinn Fein, the main opposition party, has been gaining traction in the polls, raising concerns for the ruling coalition of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, which has been in power since 2020. Despite the fumbled interaction, analysts predict that the most likely outcome post-elections may still favor a coalition government, possibly including smaller parties like the Greens or Labour to maintain a majority in parliament.