The political framework of Ireland

Political Outline

Current Political Leaders

President: Michael D. Higgins (since 29 October 2011, re-elected in October 2018)
Prime Minister: Leo Varadkar (since 16 December 2022)

Next Election Dates

Presidential elections: November 2025
Senate: 2025
House of Representatives: 2025

Current Political Context

General elections were held in February 2020, in which no party secured a majority but Fianna Fáil won the most seats. After months of coalition negotiations disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, traditional rival parties Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael formed a coalition government for the first time, along with the Green Party. The Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin was elected as Ireland’s Taoiseach (prime minister) in June 2020, succeeding to Fine Gael’s leader Leo Varadkar. The nationalist party Sinn Féin made a historic breakthrough at these elections, and in July 2022, it took advantage of the loss of the government's majority in the Dáil to launch a motion of censure. However, the motion of no confidence was largely rejected (Coface). This strategic weakness of the government, leaves the opposition well placed to condemn the coalition for its alleged failures on housing, health and mitigating the cost-of-living crisis (The Economist). In 2022, after two years of restrictions measures including mandatory lockdowns, hotel quarantine and masks-wearing, all COVID-19 restrictions were removed, but the government had to face the new challenge of high inflation triggered by the war in Ukraine. According to the rotating leadership agreement, Leo Varadkar returned to power in December 2022 for the second part of the mandate.

After three years of conflict, the British Parliament voted in December 2019 in favor of the plan to leave the EU proposed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. In December 2020 on Christmas Eve, a 'thin deal' was signed, leaving much topics unsettled, to avoid a catastrophic exit without a deal. The stakes were crucial for Ireland because of its privileged trade relations with the United Kingdom and its land border with Northern Ireland. Besides the Brexit issue, Ireland adopted an international tax reform increasing the corporate tax rate, as agreed with the OECD. In December 2022, the Finance Minister announced that Ireland's corporation tax rate would be increased to 15% for large companies in 2024.

Main Political Parties

Historically, the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael parties have dominated politics.
- Fine Gael: centre-right, socially moderate and fiscally conservative
- Fianna Fail: centre/centre-right, populist
- Labour: centre-left
- Sinn Fein: left-wing
- Green Party: centre-left, driven by green politics.

-Renua Ireland
-Social Democrats
-Socialist Party

- Aontú

-Workers and unemployed Action: left

-Independents 4 Change: left

Executive Power

The President, who serves as the Head of State in a largely ceremonial role, is elected for a 7-year term and can be re-elected only once. The Prime Minister (Taoiseach) is the Head of the Government. He is appointed by the president after being appointed by the lower house.

Legislative Power

Bicameral national Parliament (Oireachtas): House of Representatives (Dail) and Senate (Seanad). The Chamber of Deputies has 166 members elected by universal suffrage and the Senate is composed of 60 members (one part elected by the national universities and the other part by a representative panel of the civil society).

Indicator of Freedom of the Press

World Rank:

12/180

Indicator of Political Freedom

Ranking:

Free

Political Freedom:

1/7

Political freedom in the world (interactive map)
Source: Freedom in the World Report, Freedom House