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Independent candidate Catherine Connolly wins Irish presidency
(MENAFN) Independent candidate Catherine Connolly has secured a decisive victory in Ireland’s presidential election, winning widespread support as a long-time advocate for military neutrality and a vocal critic of NATO expansion and EU militarization.
Early tallies showed Connolly leading her main rival, Heather Humphreys, by a wide margin, prompting Humphreys to concede. Preliminary results put Connolly ahead with 63% of the vote to Humphreys’ 29%. “Catherine will be a president for all of us and she will be my president,” Humphreys said. Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin also congratulated Connolly, describing the outcome as “a very comprehensive election victory.”
Although she ran as an independent, the 68-year-old former Galway mayor received backing from major left-wing parties, including Sinn Fein and Labour. Analysts attribute her success to strong youth support, effective outreach efforts, and a prominent social media presence, all amid rising public frustration over housing shortages and the cost-of-living crisis.
During her campaign, Connolly stressed the importance of Irish neutrality and criticized the EU’s emphasis on military expansion at the expense of social welfare. While she condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine, she argued that NATO’s “warmongering” contributed to the conflict. Last month, she drew comparisons between Germany’s economic focus on the military-industrial sector and its rearmament in the 1930s, saying at a University College Dublin discussion, “Seems to me, there are some parallels with the ‘30s.”
Moscow has repeatedly criticized the EU’s increasing military capabilities, viewing the bloc as evolving into a militarized extension of NATO.
In Ireland’s parliamentary democracy, the president serves as the formal head of state with largely ceremonial duties. However, the role does carry certain powers, including the authority to refer bills to the nation’s supreme court for constitutional review and the ability to dissolve the lower chamber of parliament to trigger new elections if the prime minister loses majority support.
Early tallies showed Connolly leading her main rival, Heather Humphreys, by a wide margin, prompting Humphreys to concede. Preliminary results put Connolly ahead with 63% of the vote to Humphreys’ 29%. “Catherine will be a president for all of us and she will be my president,” Humphreys said. Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin also congratulated Connolly, describing the outcome as “a very comprehensive election victory.”
Although she ran as an independent, the 68-year-old former Galway mayor received backing from major left-wing parties, including Sinn Fein and Labour. Analysts attribute her success to strong youth support, effective outreach efforts, and a prominent social media presence, all amid rising public frustration over housing shortages and the cost-of-living crisis.
During her campaign, Connolly stressed the importance of Irish neutrality and criticized the EU’s emphasis on military expansion at the expense of social welfare. While she condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine, she argued that NATO’s “warmongering” contributed to the conflict. Last month, she drew comparisons between Germany’s economic focus on the military-industrial sector and its rearmament in the 1930s, saying at a University College Dublin discussion, “Seems to me, there are some parallels with the ‘30s.”
Moscow has repeatedly criticized the EU’s increasing military capabilities, viewing the bloc as evolving into a militarized extension of NATO.
In Ireland’s parliamentary democracy, the president serves as the formal head of state with largely ceremonial duties. However, the role does carry certain powers, including the authority to refer bills to the nation’s supreme court for constitutional review and the ability to dissolve the lower chamber of parliament to trigger new elections if the prime minister loses majority support.
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