Independent left-wing politician Connolly wins Irish presidency in landslide

Irish President-elect Catherine Connolly.
Photo: Getty Images

Catherine Connolly, a veteran lawmaker on the far left of the Irish political spectrum, was elected president by a landslide margin on Saturday in a stinging rebuke to the recently re-elected centre-right coalition, Reuters reports.

Connolly, 68, a long-time critic of the European Union in overwhelmingly pro-EU Ireland backed by the left-dominated opposition, was not a household name and was underestimated by many at the start of the contest for the largely ceremonial role.

Ireland's president is largely a figurehead, with seldom-used powers to test the constitutionality of legislation, but often speaks on the global stage and welcomes other heads of state to the country.

Many of Connolly's views – from denouncing the EU's plans to boost military spending to questioning the trustworthiness of the United States, Britain and France over their stance on the war in Gaza – are well to the left of many of the parties backing her, as well as outspoken incumbent Michael D Higgins.

The former clinical psychologist and barrister is also one of the leading pro-Palestinian voices in parliament – a stance shared by government and most voters.

The result was a boost to hopes among the previously divided left-wing opposition, led by Sinn Fein, of building a block capable of ending their centre-right rivals' century-long grip on power.

Catherine Connolly slammed European countries for rapid military buildup

Connolly, a former mayor of Galway and member of the national legislature, was considered a long-shot outlier when she announced this summer that she was running. But she prevailed in what became a two-person contest marked by low public interest and candidate chaos, ‘The Washington Post’ writes.

Ultimately, Connolly ended up in a one-on-one matchup against Humphreys, a cabinet minister from the center-right Fine Gael party seen as the establishment standard-bearer.

Still, for some observers, Connolly’s victory reflected a milder, Irish-accented version of the restive anti-government ferment roiling democracies worldwide, and flashed early warning signs at Ireland’s governing center-right coalition by showing that a strong GDP — the Irish economy outpaces most European nations — is not perfect insulation from voter anger.

The presidency, created to represent the parliamentary republic rather than govern it, is almost entirely ceremonial, with only a handful of powers and even those rarely used. The president officially appoints some key officials, notably the attorney general and judges, but only with guidance from the government. But with rare exceptions, the president’s role in governing is symbolic.

Connolly bulldozed Ireland’s conventional diplomatic script in ways that could create headaches with the country’s European neighbors. Her heterodox foreign policy positions include blaming NATO’s eastward expansion, in part, for provoking Russia’s war in Ukraine. She also slammed European countries for their rapid military buildup and seemed to compare German arms spending to Nazi-era militarization.

There were nearly 214,000 invalid ballots nationwide

Connolly, a former barrister who has served as a lawmaker since 2016, has been outspoken in criticizing Israel over the war in Gaza. She has also warned against the European Union’s growing “militarization”, NBC Nwes notes.

Ireland has a tradition of military neutrality, but her critics have said she risks alienating the country’s allies.

Connolly will succeed Michael D. Higgins, who has been president since 2011, having served the maximum two seven-year terms. She will be Ireland’s 10th president and the third woman to hold the post.

The politician has garnered the backing of a range of left-leaning parties, including Sinn Féin, the Labour Party and the Social Democrats.

Irish presidents represent the country on the world stage, host visiting heads of state and play an important constitutional role, but they do not have executive powers such as shaping laws or policies.

Nonetheless, parties on the left celebrated the results as a significant shift in Irish politics.

"We have seen a real appetite for the change that Catherine represents," said Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik. "We believe this really does mean a new sort of politics is possible, that we can now realize the ambition that I talked about a year ago: The real prospect of a center-left-led government after the next general election."

The electoral commission said Saturday that there was a "significantly higher than normal" number of spoiled ballots, and that there will "clearly be a need for deeper and further reflection" about voter dissatisfaction.

Simon Harris, the deputy premier, said the spoiled ballots showed "the number of people in Ireland now who are clearly feeling disaffected or disconnected with politics." He said officials will be looking at the possibility of changing the threshold needed to secure a nomination in future presidential elections.

About 46% of the 3.6 million eligible voters turned out to vote. There were nearly 214,000 invalid ballots nationwide, representing a tenfold increase on the last presidential election in 2018

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