Catherine Connolly, a veteran lawmaker on the far left of the Irish political spectrum, was elected president by a landslide margin on Saturday in a stinging rebuke to the recently re-elected center-right coalition.
Connolly, 68, a long-time critic of the European Union in overwhelmingly pro-EU Ireland backed by the left-dominated opposition, was not a household name and was underestimated by many at the start of the contest for the largely ceremonial role.
Connolly, an independent candidate, built momentum as the campaign progressed, enthused younger voters and was elected with 63.4% of the vote. The other candidate seeking election, ex-cabinet minister Heather Humphreys, won 29.5%.
“I will be a president who listens, who reflects and who speaks when it’s necessary. Together we can shape a new republic that values everybody,” Connolly said in a speech at Dublin Castle.
Ireland’s president is largely a figurehead, with seldom-used powers to test the constitutionality of legislation, but often speaks on the global stage and welcomes other heads of state to the country.
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