The victory of a left-wing candidate in Ireland: what to expect for Ukraine

The election season continues around the world. Thus, in Ireland, the presidential election held on Friday, October 24, was won by independent candidate Catherine Connolly, who is supported by a coalition of left-wing parties. This was reported on Saturday, October 25, by the Irish national broadcaster RTÉ and The Irish Times.

According to these media outlets, the results of ballot processing indicate the victory of the independent 68-year-old candidate Catherine Connolly - about 61.1% of voters voted for her. Her opponent, Heather Humphreys, a former social welfare minister and candidate from the center-right Fine Gael party, received 21.1% of the vote.

Fianna Fáil candidate Jim Gavin, who ended his campaign in early October but whose name remained on the ballot, received 7% of the vote, the worst result in the party's history.

Notably, almost 13% of the spoiled votes were invalid, which is many times higher than usual, as a larger than usual number of voters expressed dissatisfaction with the limited choice of candidates on the ballot and the nature of the campaign.

Only 1% of votes were spoiled in the 2018 presidential election.

Voter turnout in 2025 was higher than expected at 46%, higher than in the 2018 presidential election, although this appears to have been partly driven by a campaign to encourage people to vote and spoil their votes.

Catherine Connolly is greeted by Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris on stage at Dublin Castle. Photo: The Irish Times / Alan Batson

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin immediately congratulated Catherine Connolly on her victory.

"I would like to congratulate Catherine Connolly on her upcoming landslide victory in the election. It is already clear that she will be the next president of Ireland... She has received a clear mandate to represent the people of Ireland as president for the next 7 years," said Mr. Martin.

During the election race, Connolly formed a coalition of opposition parties, including even the largest of them - Sinn Fein.

<b>An unsuccessful election campaign</b>

Jim Gavin could have been the candidate who would have won the election for Fianna Fáil.

He was recognized and popular-at least in the capital-as a multiple All-Ireland American football championship winning boss.

In addition to the appeal of his GAA connections, he had a long record of public service in the Defense Forces, among several other positions. Theoretically, he could get votes beyond Fianna Fáil's core support base.

Jim Gavin's election poster. Photo: Dara Mac Dónaill / The Irish Times

During the campaign, Gavin told The Irish Times how he met with Martin and Fianna Fáil deputy leader Jack Chambers and how "their vision for the presidency was the same as mine."

He called himself an "Irish republican," said that "service to the state" was what motivated him and that "at the end of the day, I believe I can make a difference." It was not to be.

The inexperienced politician looked nervous during his first televised debate. His campaign then made a series of online gaffes, including the use of drone footage without proper authorization and the appearance of uniformed members of the Defense Forces in a former Air Force officer's social media videos, all of which have since been deleted.

<b>What is known about the new President of Ireland</b>

Connolly is a former Deputy Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament. At other times, she also worked as a lawyer and psychologist. It is also known that she is a representative of the extreme left wing of Irish politics and was elected president of the country. She has previously stated: "Israel is a terrorist state. Hamas' actions are not genocide because history did not begin on October 7." She has condemned Israel's actions in Gaza and believes that Hamas "has a role to play" in the post-war era. She also criticized NATO on the topic of Ukraine and criticized the actions of the European Union under <b>Ursula von der Leyen</b>.

On domestic policy, the president promised to promote the Irish language and protect the rights of people with disabilities.

Speaking after the official announcement of her election on the evening of October 24 in Dublin Castle, Ms. Connolly said she would be president for everyone, including those who voted for her and those who did not. She said she would "speak out when it is necessary," specifically mentioning Ireland's neutrality, and said she would "raise my voice," referring to her campaign promise to "shape a new republic together."

"My message is this: use your voice in every way you can because a republic and a democracy needs to be constructively debated and together we can shape a new republic that values everyone, that values and champions diversity, and that recognizes our own identity, our Irish language, our English language and the new people who have come to our country," she said.

"I will be a president that is inclusive of all of you and I am absolutely honored by the vote that has been given to me and I will represent you nationally and internationally in the best way possible, in the most professional and humane way possible," Ms. Connolly assured.

<b>How Catherine Connolly's election may affect Ukraine</b>

The newly elected president is known to have condemned the Russian invasion, but she has previously accused NATO of expanding eastward and provoking war. She is also skeptical of the military buildup in Europe and has compared Germany's spending on arms to the militarization of the Nazi era. In this way, she acted as an opponent of <b>Donald Trump</b>.

As for Ukrainian refugees, Connolly believes that they have become an important part of Irish society and are integrating well.

It should be noted that the position of the president in Ireland is more nominal, and his powers include mostly representative functions, while the role of the executive branch in Ireland belongs to the government. Nevertheless, Connolly's victory in Ireland is called a "verdict" for the center-right coalition government.

It should be added that Catherine Connolly will become the third woman to serve as President of Ireland after Mary Robinson in 1990 and Mary McAleese in 1997.

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