Ireland: early legislative risky for the Prime Minister

Text by: RFI Follow

The Irish are voting this Saturday to elect their new Parliament and, by extension, their new government. Outgoing Prime Minister Leo Varadkar hopes for his re-election. He came to power internally but was never elected to the head of government by the people.

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With our correspondent in Dublin, Émeline Vin

By calling these elections a week after the UK's exit from the European Union, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar intended to take advantage of his image during the Brexit negotiations: a fine negotiator, a fervent defender of Irish interests.

But from the start of this three-week lightning campaign, Leo Varadkar had to answer for his party's failures. In power for 9 years, Fine Gael has not resolved the housing and health system crises.

The issue of the retirement age has also emerged as one of the major issues, when he is set to turn 67 next January.

Micheal Martin's Fianna Fail, very close politically to Fine Gael, could benefit from the poor results of its lifelong rival. But it will especially be necessary to monitor the score of the smallest formations, in particular Sinn Féin.

► To listen and read also: Ireland: two days before the vote, Sinn Fein in the lead for the first time

The nationalist party, in opposition for a century, has not presented enough candidates to hope to lead the next government, but it is gathering more and more favorable opinions and appears to be the real alternative to the two traditional camps. He could then for the first time find himself in the position of kingmaker.

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• Ireland
• Leo Varadkar

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