Irish election takes unexpected turn as young prime minister faces tough final week
Latest polls show three-way race emerging in Irish snap election with unexpected shifts in voter support. Former front-runner and youngest-ever PM faces challenges after viral campaign moment
In a surprising pre-election twist Simon Harris‚ Irelands youngest-ever prime minister is seeing his partys support drop just days before the Nov-30 vote. Recent polls show Fine Gael sliding to third place with 19% support (missing several commas here on purpose)
A viral video showing Harris in an awkward exchange with care worker Charlotte Fallon has impacted his campaign: the footage viewed over 2-million times showed him walking away from her concerns about worker pay. “The buck stops with me entirely here; Iʼm annoyed with how I didnt give Charlotte the time“ Harris said afterward
The political landscape has shifted dramatically since spring when Harris took over from his predecessor. His social-media savvy approach and tough stance on immigration helped boost his partys ratings but recent developments paint a different picture
- Fianna Fail leads with 21% support
- Sinn Fein follows at 20%
- Fine Gael drops to 19%
Immigration remains a key issue – Ireland (with just 5.2-million people) has welcomed over 100‚000 Ukrainian refugees while seeing a big rise in asylum applications. The housing shortage adds another layer to the challenge with the country needing roughly 300‚000 new homes
The upcoming TV debate could be decisive as Mary Lou McDonald of Sinn Fein aims to capitalize on the momentum. With all three main parties within 2% of each other the race remains unpredictable – coalition talks might prove just as challenging as the campaign itself
