Taoiseach Simon Harris has dismissed the idea of an early general election, stating that the public showed no desire for a significant shift in the recent local and European elections. Instead, they expect him, as a newly appointed Taoiseach, to buckle down and fulfil his role diligently.
“Contrary to what the analysts and commentators speculated, my party didn’t fare drastically in the local and European elections,” he affirmed. “They predicted Sinn Féin rising and believed I would be questioned this weekend on why I wouldn’t call for a new election, claiming that the Government no longer had public support.”
He added, “The Irish voters made their choice and didn’t opt largely for a change. Indeed, in local elections, my party received most of the first preference votes.”
Mr Harris noted that the public message was clear – ‘You’re the new Taoiseach, show some mettle, and get on with the job.’ He added, “I started my tasks early on the Monday following the elections, and my opinion on election timing remains the same.”
Regarding if postponing the general election would allow Sinn Féin to recover after their lacklustre performance in the June 7th polls, he retorted that it would merely “afford me a bit of time to keep delivering for people. It might seem quaint from a relatively young politician, but I am of the conviction that if you work diligently and deliver, people are likely to give you their vote. That’s the stance I’m adopting.”
He made these comments on Saturday afternoon while en route to Switzerland for a Ukraine peace conference. His sentiments contradict the burgeoning calls from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil for a general election before Christmas. Rumour has it that within both parties, there is a strong desire for a general election in October.
Former Fine Gael justice minister Charlie Flanagan anticipated an autumn election. The TD for Laois-Offaly interpreted the election result as a “vivid endorsement of the central parties.”
Nonetheless, Taoiseach, Tánaiste Micheál Martin, and the Green Party leader Eamon Ryan have all insisted that the Government would see out its full term into the coming year.
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