Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris has announced that the general election is planned for November 29, initiating a brief campaign period of just weeks. Harris, who became the youngest Taoiseach in the country’s history following Leo Varadkar’s sudden resignation in March, has been preparing for this election in recent weeks.
On Friday, Harris will visit Aras an Uachtarain, the official residence of the Irish president, to seek the dissolution of the Dail, Ireland’s parliament. Speaking to RTE News on Wednesday, he stated, “As I discussed with other coalition leaders, it’s my hope that we will have polling day on November 29.” He expressed enthusiasm for the campaign ahead, looking for a mandate from the Irish people.
Harris’s announcement came shortly after his coalition partner, Micheal Martin, hinted at the upcoming election. While the coalition’s five-year term officially ends in March, Harris opted to call for an earlier election, supported by recent tax cuts and spending increases amounting to 10.5 billion euros (£8.75 billion).
This election will conclude the historic coalition between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, longstanding rivals since the civil war. Martin served as Taoiseach for the first half of the coalition’s term before being succeeded by Varadkar.
In the last election, Sinn Fein made a significant impact, garnering the highest percentage of first-preference votes, though it has faced challenges in subsequent local and European polls.
Credit: Sky News
