Ireland's Political Landscape: A New Coalition on the Horizon

Ireland's leading centre-right parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, are initiating talks to form a new government after falling short of a parliamentary majority in the recent election. They plan to secure a junior partner or independent lawmakers to establish a ruling coalition, excluding the main opposition party, Sinn Fein.

Ireland's political scene is set for significant changes as the two largest centre-right parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, prepare to form a new government this week. The parties, prominent in the outgoing administration, narrowly missed a majority in the November 29 election, prompting the necessity for coalition talks.

The party leaders have instructed their teams to begin negotiations immediately. The prospective coalition plans to mirror the policy platforms of their previous alliance. However, the choice of a junior partner is crucial, with options including smaller centre-left parties or more conservative independent lawmakers.

The landscape is further complicated as Sinn Fein, the strong opposition, is left out of these coalition talks despite securing the second-highest vote percentage behind Fianna Fail. The ultimate goal is to establish a stable government with a comfortable working majority.

(With inputs from agencies.)