dublin
Reuters
—
Catherine Connolly, a veteran of far-left Irish politics, on Saturday delivered a scathing attack on the centre-right coalition that was recently re-elected as president by a wide margin.
Mr Connolly, 68, has long been a critic of the European Union in Ireland, an overwhelmingly pro-EU country backed by a left-wing majority opposition party, but he has a low profile and was underestimated by many at the start of the race for a largely ceremonial role.
Connolly, an independent candidate, gained momentum as the campaign progressed, electrifying young voters and winning with 63.4% of the vote. Another candidate seeking election, former Cabinet minister Heather Humphreys, received 29.5%.
“I will be a president who listens, reflects and speaks when necessary. Together we can shape a new republic that cares for everyone,” Connolly said in a speech at Dublin Castle.
Ireland’s president is largely a celebrity, and although he rarely exercises the power to review the constitutionality of laws, he often speaks on the international stage and welcomes visits to the country by other heads of state.
Many of Connolly’s views, from condemning the EU’s plans to increase military spending to questioning the credibility of the United States, Britain and France over their stance on the Gaza war, are far to the left not only of the outspoken incumbent, Michael D. Higgins, but also of many of her party supporters.
A former clinical psychologist and lawyer, he is also one of the leading pro-Palestinian voices in parliament, a position shared by the government and most voters.
Connolly served as deputy speaker of the Irish House of Commons after first being elected in 2016, and her victory was widely seen as continuing the recent trend of selecting more independent presidents based on the candidate’s values.
She also benefited from disastrous campaigns by the two ruling parties. Humphries was not Fine Gael’s first choice. Former Gaelic football coach Jim Gavin, who was nominated by Fianna Fail, has given up his candidacy due to a financial scandal.
As a result, hopes rose among Sinn Féin’s previously splintered left-wing opposition party to build a bloc capable of ending a century of power grabs by its centre-right rivals.
Political analysts warn that such unity will become even more difficult if the two parties contest parliamentary elections due by 2030. Ireland Thinks polling day poll found that only 51% of Connolly voters said they would vote for the Left Alliance.
Labor leader Ivana Bacic said on Saturday that the centre-left party would have problems with the Sinn Féin-led coalition government.
The record 13% of voters also marred the vote, due in part to a planned protest by supporters of conservative activists who were unable to secure the support they needed from lawmakers to vote.
Prime Minister Michael Martin said the government was open to reforming the nomination process.
