Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris confirmed in a statement that a general election will be held in Ireland on Friday, 29 November, according to Euronews.
The Prime Minister initiated the launch of the 2024 general election after he confirmed on Friday that he had demanded the dissolution of the current Irish parliament (Dáil). He said the coalition government (Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party) had made progress. Harris added that they “did not agree on every issue but we did always work hard and together for the good of the Irish people.”
In a short address in Dublin, Harris thanked his colleagues. Wishing all candidates good luck, he called for a safe and respectful campaign and urged all Irish citizens to vote on 29 November. Ireland’s president must now approve Harris’s request to dissolve the House of Representatives, although this is just a formality.
“Use your voice. That’s how this country works, how we listen. It’s how we act on your behalf,” he said. Harris, 37, took over as head of Ireland’s three-party coalition government in April, a month after the unexpected resignation of his long-time predecessor Leo Varadkar. He previously served as minister for higher education in Varadkar’s government and was the only candidate to succeed him as head of Fine Gael.
The ruling coalition has been criticised for failing to address the worsening housing crisis. Thus, the housing crisis and the cost of living crisis are two topics that are sure to be of great concern to voters as the election campaign has already begun. Apart from this, another topic will touch on relations with the US and the impact of Donald Trump’s recent re-election as US President on the economy of Ireland, a country that relies heavily on US technology companies for employment.
The Prime Minister was due to call an election before the end of the government’s five-year term in March, but he decided to address the Irish public at the end of the month due to a sharp decline in the popularity of the opposition Sinn Féin party.
