The premier of Ireland has disclosed the scheduled date for a general election to occur this month.
Taoiseach Simon Harris expressed his aspirations for the election to be conducted on 29 November, which will officially commence a brief campaigning period lasting just weeks.
Mr. Harris, age 38, was appointed as Ireland’s prime minister – the youngest ever in the nation’s history – following Leo Varadkar’s unexpected resignation in March.
This Friday, he is set to visit Aras an Uachtarain, the official residence of the Irish president, to request the dissolution of Ireland’s Dail parliament.
In an interview with RTE News on Wednesday, Mr. Harris stated: “As I have discussed with the other coalition leaders, it is my hope for polling day in this country to be November 29.”
He continued: “I am eagerly anticipating the forthcoming weeks and seeking a mandate from the people of Ireland.”
After weeks of sidestepping questions about the election date, Mr. Harris made his announcement shortly after his coalition partner-turned-campaign opponent Micheal Martin indicated that the election would be called on Friday.
Mr. Harris could have delayed the polls until March when the coalition’s five-year term concludes, yet he has been laying the groundwork for an election by recently announcing 10.5 billion euros (£8.75 billion) in tax reductions and spending increments last month.
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The forthcoming election will mark the conclusion of the historic coalition that united Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, longstanding rivals since the civil war.
During this coalition, Mr. Martin, the Fianna Fail leader, held the taoiseach position for the initial half of the government’s term, later succeeded by the then-Fine Gael leader Mr. Varadkar.
The previous election was regarded as an extraordinarily successful showing for Sinn Fein, which garnered the highest percentage of first-choice votes, although the party has faced challenges in more recent local and European elections.
