(Ireland, 26th) In the Irish presidential election, independent candidate Connolly won with 63.36% of the vote, securing a landslide victory as the 10th president.
According to Reuters, voting results for the Irish presidential election were announced on Saturday (October 25th) evening, with 68-year-old far-left veteran lawmaker Catherine Connolly winning. Her main competitor, the Fine Gael (Irish Unity Party) candidate Humphreys, garnered only 29.46% of the votes.
Delivering a speech at Dublin Castle, Connolly said: “I will be a president who listens, reflects, and, when necessary, speaks out. Together, we will create a new republic that values every individual.”
Connolly ran as an independent candidate but received broad support from Ireland's left-wing parties, including Sinn Féin, the largest opposition party.
This result has boosted the hopes of the left-wing opposition, led by Sinn Féin but previously divided, aspiring to form a government that could end the century-long rule of their center-right rivals. Irish politics has long been dominated by the Fine Gael (Unity Party) and Fianna Fáil (Republican Party), two right-wing parties.
Connolly was born in County Galway, Ireland. She obtained a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Leeds in the UK, then earned a law degree from University of Galway and worked as a lawyer. In 1999, she entered Galway City Council, marking the beginning of her political career.
She has long criticized the EU's plans to increase military spending and questioned the credibility of the US, UK, and France's stances on the Gaza war.
According to the Irish constitution, the presidency is a largely ceremonial position with little real power. Each term lasts seven years, with the possibility of re-election. Incumbent President Higgins was elected in 2011 and successfully re-elected in 2018. Connolly will be sworn in on November 11.
According to Reuters, voting results for the Irish presidential election were announced on Saturday (October 25th) evening, with 68-year-old far-left veteran lawmaker Catherine Connolly winning. Her main competitor, the Fine Gael (Irish Unity Party) candidate Humphreys, garnered only 29.46% of the votes.
Delivering a speech at Dublin Castle, Connolly said: “I will be a president who listens, reflects, and, when necessary, speaks out. Together, we will create a new republic that values every individual.”
Connolly ran as an independent candidate but received broad support from Ireland's left-wing parties, including Sinn Féin, the largest opposition party.
This result has boosted the hopes of the left-wing opposition, led by Sinn Féin but previously divided, aspiring to form a government that could end the century-long rule of their center-right rivals. Irish politics has long been dominated by the Fine Gael (Unity Party) and Fianna Fáil (Republican Party), two right-wing parties.
Connolly was born in County Galway, Ireland. She obtained a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Leeds in the UK, then earned a law degree from University of Galway and worked as a lawyer. In 1999, she entered Galway City Council, marking the beginning of her political career.
She has long criticized the EU's plans to increase military spending and questioned the credibility of the US, UK, and France's stances on the Gaza war.
According to the Irish constitution, the presidency is a largely ceremonial position with little real power. Each term lasts seven years, with the possibility of re-election. Incumbent President Higgins was elected in 2011 and successfully re-elected in 2018. Connolly will be sworn in on November 11.