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A major event is to be held in Ireland later this year, the Irish Presidential Elections. Its implications spread beyond the nation, and the way future campaigns may play out. Here’s why.
How does the Irish presidency work?
An election that doesn’t perhaps grab as much traction as some of its other international counterparts, is the Irish Presidential elections. Although Ireland is more famously known for their General Elections, the president still says a lot about the country’s identity.
For many Gen Z voters this is a chance to understand a political system that looks pretty different from what we see in the media from the UK or US elections.
Ireland’s president is the head of state, not the head of government, but what does that actually mean?
This means that the president does not run the country’s day-to-day politics – the Taoiseach (prime minister) does. Instead, the president’s role is more symbolic but still powerful in shaping Ireland’s image at home and abroad.
Think of the president’s role as similar to the King’s in the UK, with one key difference: in Ireland, the people vote them in rather than the title being passed down by birth, which some may argue is a ‘fairer’ system.
They sign bills into law, represent the country internationally, and can even refer laws to the Supreme Court if there are concerns about constitutionality.
The election itself uses a proportional representation system with a single transferable vote (STV).
In simple terms, this means ranking candidates in order of preference. If your favourite doesn’t win, your vote can still count towards your next choice.
For younger voters who often feel sidelined in ‘winner takes all’ systems, STV can feel a bit more democratic, perhaps some of Irelands international peers should take notes *cough cough* the UK & US.
Who’s running this year?
The election must be held before the 11th of November 2025 with the full list of candidates soon to be confirmed.
Incumbent President Michael D. Higgins will step down after completing two terms – the maximum allowed for an Irish president, much like in the US.
However, the big question on everyone’s mind was if Michael Flatley, former star of Riverdance, will be running for the election.
Michael Flatley is best known to be an Irish dancer and choreographer. So, prior to pulling out just days ago, what made him qualified to run in the first place?
Well, the same question can be asked to reality tv star, US President Donald Trump who used to host The Apprentice. It seems to be a new trend to have older men in entertainment pivot to politics – in other words – I’m not too sure what makes him qualified either!
Well, Flatley claimed his disapproval of politics is his what made him an excellent candidate. He stated that his charm and experience touring the globe is indicative of a good statemen, adding that he’s ‘not sure we need another politician.’
It’s almost a shame that we were denied a full Flatley election campaign. It certainly would have been an interesting one. For now, we’ll have to keep a close eye on former UFC champ Conor McGregor – no, we’re not joking.
