Ireland will hold weeks of coalition talks before it gets a new government as the country’s two major parties work to form a stable administration, according to AP News.
All 174 seats in the legislature were filled on Monday after three days of ballot counting. According to the results, Fianna Fáil won 48 seats and Fine Gael gained 38. However, both parties, ruling in a coalition since 2020, fell short of the 88 seats needed to achieve a majority.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin secured 39 seats in the Dáil Éireann (lower house of parliament) but is unlikely to join the next government. The two major parties refuse to co-operate with Sinn Féin over its historical links with the Irish Republican Army.
Sinn Fein lawmaker Eoin Ó Broin said a Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael government would be “the worst possible outcome for the people of the country.”
The outcome of the election is now clear. The numbers are there for Fianna Fail and Fine Gael to form a government together.
Both parties would need support to gain a majority in parliament. They could turn to the Social Democrats and the Irish Labour Party, which would increase the total number of seats with 11 each, or to independent lawmakers.
The new government will face huge pressure to reduce the rise in homelessness triggered by rising rents and property prices. The Dáil will also need to decide how to accommodate the growing number of asylum seekers.
