The leader of Fianna Fáil has praised his party’s performance in the general election, emphasizing that he will allow the “dust to settle” on the results before contemplating government formation, reports Breaking News.
With Micheál Martin’s party poised to secure the highest number of seats in the Dáil, speculation is growing regarding the possible structure of the next coalition in Dublin.
After two days of counting following Friday’s election, and with over 100 of the 174 seats filled by Sunday evening, the likelihood of a government comprising Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael now appears greater than the prospect of one involving Sinn Féin, the long-time main opposition party.
The two centre-right parties, which have dominated Irish politics for a century and shared power in the previous coalition, both dismissed the idea of governing with Sinn Féin prior to the election, making it improbable that they would consider that option if a feasible coalition could be formed together, reports Breaking News.
In remarks to reporters in Cork on Sunday night, Mr. Martin characterized it as a “good day for Fianna Fáil.”
Earlier in the day, he mentioned needing to take a walk to reflect on the possibilities regarding government formation.
Another significant development from the election is the near eradication of the Green Party, which was the junior partner in the outgoing coalition, reports Breaking News.
The party lost 11 of its 12 TDs, including Media Minister Catherine Martin, with leader Roderic O’Gorman barely retaining his position as the sole representative in the Dáil.
Should Fianna Fáil emerge as the largest party, Mr. Martin would initiate what could be a lengthy negotiation process regarding a programme for government with potential coalition partners.
Fianna Fáil received the most first preference votes in the proportional representation election, achieving 21.9 percent compared to Fine Gael’s 20.8 percent. Sinn Féin secured third place with 19 percent, reports Breaking News.
Although Sinn Féin’s vote share showed a notable improvement compared to its disappointing results in the local elections in Ireland in June, it still falls short of the 24.5 percent it achieved in the 2020 general election.
Asked later in the evening if he now had a clearer picture, the Tánaiste said: “I didn’t get the walk yet – that may be tomorrow morning. I think the sensible thing is to await the completion of all counts,” reports Breaking News.
He added: “We’ll let the dust settle and savour the moment. We’ll then be in a position over the next couple of days to assess the landscape, devise our strategies,” reports Breaking News.
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