With just days to go before Ireland’s general election on Friday, a new poll reveals a significant shift in the political landscape, adding a dramatic twist to what had been a relatively subdued campaign, Bloomberg reports.
Prime Minister Simon Harris’s Fine Gael party has seen its support plummet, falling behind both its coalition partner and the main opposition party, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos B&A poll released Monday.
Fine Gael’s approval rating has dropped six points to 19%, placing them just behind Fianna Fáil (21%, up two points) and Sinn Féin (20%, up one point). The three parties are now separated by less than two percentage points – within the margin of error of 2.8% – creating a tight race for the top spot. Overall satisfaction with the coalition government also fell four points to 35%.
The poll’s findings represent a considerable setback for Harris, who called the early election earlier this month hoping to capitalize on recent gains and a dip in Sinn Féin’s popularity. While still within striking distance of forming another coalition with Fianna Fáil, the result puts immense pressure on his party in the final days of the campaign.
A separate poll by the Sunday Independent and Ireland Thinks, released Sunday, also showed Fine Gael losing support, though it placed them slightly ahead of Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin.
The October budget, which included tax cuts and increased welfare and pension payments, failed to deliver the expected boost for Fine Gael. The Prime Minister’s personal approval rating also took a hit, falling from 50% to 46% in the Irish Times poll, although he remains ahead of Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin (44%) and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald (31%). The Green Party, the third coalition partner, saw a slight increase to 4%.
Harris’s campaign has not been without its missteps. He recently apologized for a controversial encounter with a disability care worker during canvassing, prompting criticism of his handling of the situation. Sinn Féin, which once enjoyed significant leads in polls, has seen its support decline over the past year, partly due to several scandals that have plagued the party.
