Irish general election 2016 report: whither the party system?

ABSTRACT

The Irish General Election, held on 26 February, was eagerly anticipated for several reasons. It was the first contest since the ‘Earthquake’ election of 2011, which saw a historic change in the Irish party system, with the near total demolition of Fianna Fáil and the first and second place finishes of Fine Gael and the Labour Party. It would be the first test of the permanency of this shift. It was also the first contest following the serious economic adjustments pursued since then, as well as the first since the introduction of the Gender Quota in 2012, a measure expected to change the kind of candidate selected – and thus elected – for the Dáil. Ultimately, the election returned a defeat for the government, and a fragmented new Dáil, but at the time of writing, it is unclear what, if any, government will be formed.

KEYWORDS:

• Irish politics
• elections