FLASH
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The Irish left has scored a historic victory. Candidate Catherine Connolly has won the presidential election by a wide margin, taking about 64% of the vote after two-thirds of the ballots were counted. Her rival, Heather Humphreys of the ruling Fine Gael party, conceded defeat on Saturday afternoon after the result became irreversible.
" Catherine will be president for all of us, and she will be my president. I wish her all the best ," Humphreys declared after the result.
Connolly, 68, managed to attract young voters and was backed by a broad alliance of left-wing opposition parties. Her victory is seen as a clear message against the centre-right government at a time when the housing crisis and rising cost of living have caused widespread discontent.
According to early estimates, Humphreys only managed to get 29% of the vote, while Fianna Fáil candidate Jim Gavin, who withdrew at the end of the campaign, received about 7%. Invalid votes reached 13%, a historical record that shows the disillusionment of the electorate with the political offer. Voter turnout was about 40% of the 3.6 million eligible voters.
In her first speech after her victory, Connolly said with emotion: “ Thank you to everyone, even those who didn’t vote for me. I understand their concerns about representation and I will work for everyone. ”
Her victory was seen as a political slap in the face to the current government, as Connolly also managed to win in Fine Gael strongholds, including south Dublin. Analysts say the victory is the product of popular discontent, the unity of left-wing parties and a clever social media campaign that turned Connolly into a symbol of change.
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