The 100-Year Life Health Education and Government
A day after the most divisive election of the year, another election was announced in Europe. Ireland goes to the polls on 29 November, weeks after a bumper budget giveaway of €10.5 billion in tax cuts and spending increases.
The big issues? A housing crisis (and record-high homelessness), an ailing health system, the cost of living and immigration. Ireland’s youngest-ever leader, the “TikTok Taoiseach” Simon Harris, had until March 2025 to call an election, but why wait?
His party, Fine Gael, has been energised since he replaced Leo Varadkar in April. Ireland’s public finances are the healthiest in Europe and the opinion polls are on his side.
He wants to exploit a moment of opposition weakness. Thanks in part to a series of safeguarding scandals, support for Sinn Féin has fallen to a five-year low.
