Ireland - Elections 2011
The results of the election justified the tag 'earthquake election'. The 2011 general election resulted in one of the most dramatic shifts in Irish party politics since the foundation of the State. The longtime leading party, Fianna Fail, was trounced in the February 25, 2011 elections by Enda Kenny's Fine Gael party and the second-place Labor party.
The 3-party coalition between Fianna Fáil, the Green Party and the Progressive Democrats (PDs) took office in June 2007, with the support of nearly 90 of the 166 TDs and a five-year term ahead of it. By the time Brian Cowen succeeded Bertie Ahern as Taoiseach in May 2008 not much had changed. However, over the next two years the economy took a massive downward turn (the legacy more of decisions made between 2001 and 2008 than of the decisions made once the extent of Ireland's property bubble and reckless lending and borrowing by the banks became clear); the PDs dissolved; and the number of FF TDs decreased through death, resignation from the Dáil, or defection from the party. When the Greens withdrew from the government in January 2011 the end was near.
On Tuesday 1 February 2011 the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, acting on the advice of the Taoiseach (prime minister), Brian Cowen, dissolved the 30th Dáil. The 31st Dáil was elected on Friday 25 February; polling stations were open from 7 am to 10 pm. Nominations of candidates closed at noon on Wednesday 9 February. The number of candidates, at 566, was a record. The 166 TDs (members of the Dáil) were elected from 43 constituencies by means of the PR-STV electoral system; one, the outgoing Ceann Comhairle (chair of the Dáil), was deemed elected without a contest (Séamus Kirk in Louth), leaving 165 seats to be contested. These 165 TDs were returned from 17 3-seat constituencies, 16 4-seat constituencies, and 10 5-seat constituencies.
Not surprisingly, the country's economic difficulties constitute far and away the most important issue according to respondents to opinion polls, and the second biggest issue cited, unemployment, could be seen as essentially a consequence of the main issue. To a certain extent this is a 'valence' issue, with the main parties agreeing that economic recovery should take priority over all other goals and yet unable to disagree much on specific policies, if only because the hands of all governments are tied by the constraints and commitments that are part of the loan provision / bailout agreed by the outgoing government with the EU, the European Central Bank and the IMF in December 2010.
The Family of the Irish / Fine Gael led by Enda KENNY won 76 seats, and the Labour Party / Páirtí an Lucht Oibre, led by Eamon GILMORE, won 37 seats. The Soldiers of Destiny – The Republican Party / Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach, led by Micheál MARTIN won only 20 seats, Sinn Féin, led by Gerry ADAMS, won 14 seats, and the Green Party / Comhaontas Glas, led by John GORMLEY, won no seats. Irish voters were angry that the preceding government sought a bailout from the EU and IMF after the Irish economy collapsed during the global financial crisis of 2008 and 2009. Under terms of the loan, the government must slash spending and civil service salaries.
Ireland's new parliament elected Enda Kenny as prime minister on March 08, 2011, with a mandate to renegotiate an unpopular bailout package from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. The vote came just days after the country's two largest political parties agreed to form a coalition government that will have an overwhelming majority in the lower house of parliament.
On October 29th, 2011 Irish poet and human rights activist Michael Higgins was elected Ireland's president for the next seven years. Election officials said that Mr. Higgins won nearly 57 percent of the vote in the final count. The 70-year-old former culture minister for the Labor Party defeated independent businessman and reality television celebrity Sean Gallagher, and Sinn Fein's candidate, former IRA commander Martin McGuinness. The Irish president wields no government power beyond the ability to refer potentially unconstitutional legislation to Ireland's Supreme Court.
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