Election results spark a political negotiation in Ireland

In Ireland, citizens participated in a general election during a highly competitive climate characterized by a rising number of voters supporting the left-wing nationalist party Sinn Féin, led by Mary Lou McDonald. The current Taoiseach, Simon Harris, faced pressures from this growing political force, which has historical ties to the IRA. As the ballots were cast, there was an expectation amongst party leaders for a lengthy period of negotiations following the polls, due to the unlikely possibility of any single party achieving an outright majority. Counting of the votes began on Saturday morning, leading to results expected by Sunday. It was indicated that the nation might see a coalition government, as opinion polls suggested a close race among the main political parties: Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, and Sinn Féin, each hovering around 20% of voter support. As the election drew near, many independent candidates rose in popularity, given that a significant number of Fine Gael incumbents chose not to run again. This shift towards independents was also fueled by anti-immigration sentiments among the electorate. Previous polls indicated that many voters preferred the status quo, which had taken four months to establish after the last election held in 2020. In that year, Sinn Féin celebrated a historical milestone with 37 seats in the Dáil, only one seat behind Fianna Fáil and two more than Fine Gael. The political landscape prompted leaders to encourage strategic voting, with the hopes that transfer votes may influence the stability and formation of the next government, which may need to negotiate coalitions to prevent any party from gaining a solid majority.