Micheál Martin's return as Ireland's leader delayed by parliamentary wrangling
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Irish lawmakers met Wednesday to appoint a new prime minister, but quickly abandoned the attempt amid bitter wrangling over parliamentary procedure. The chaotic scenes mean the expected appointment of veteran politician Micheál Martin must wait until at least Thursday.
The formation of a government comes almost two months after an election in which Martin’s Fianna Fáil party won the most seats, but not enough to govern alone. After weeks of talks, the long-dominant center-right parties Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael agreed to form a coalition with the support of several independent lawmakers.
Under the deal, Martin. 64, will be taoiseach, or prime minister, for three years, with Fine Gael’s Simon Harris – the outgoing taoiseach – as his deputy. The two politicians will then swap jobs for the rest of the five-year term. Members of both parties have ratified the government agreement, and Martin was set to be confirmed by members of the Dáil, parliament’s lower house, on Wednesday.
But speaker Verona Murphy repeatedly suspended the session as lawmakers argued about how much speaking time the independents backing the government should get. She finally adjourned the session until Thursday morning. Once Martin is approved, he will be formally appointed to the job by President Michael D. Higgins before naming his cabinet.
In Ireland’s Nov. 29 election, voters bucked a global trend that saw incumbent governments ousted around the world in 2024. Fianna Fail won 48 of the 174 legislative seats and Fine Gael 38. They’ve secured backing to govern from the mostly conservative Regional Independent Group, which will be given two ministerial positions.
