Catherine Connolly: Ireland's New Left-Wing President

Catherine Connolly, Irelands new president, was inaugurated on November eleventh, marking a significant victory for the Irish left. She united left-wing parties to secure her win, preventing Fine Gael and Fianna Fail from taking the presidency. Connolly, a sixty-eight-year-old former psychologist and barrister, won sixty-three percent of the first preference votes. Her win reflects the current political landscape in Ireland, where she has been a vocal critic of the European Union, increased military spending, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmers stance on Hamas. Following her inauguration, Connolly met with schoolchildren from Francis Street School in Dublin, who described her as cool and kind. In her first speech, she highlighted the threats of climate change and ongoing wars, asserting that Irelands history of colonization, famine, and forced immigration gives it a unique understanding of dispossession and a mandate to lead in finding alternative solutions to conflict. The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.