Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris on Friday announced the formal start of the country’s general election campaign.
He hopes to retain his coalition’s lead in polls and to capitalise on a slide in support for the opposition Sinn Fein.
Harris had until March to go to the polls, but has been paving the way for an earlier election since a 10.5-billion-euro giveaway budget that began hitting voters’ wallets this month.
He confirmed this week that voting day would be November 29.
“The time is now right to ask the Irish people to give a new mandate,” Harris told journalists in front of his office.
After addressing the journalists, he left for the President’s residence to seek the formal dissolution of parliament.
The left-wing Sinn Fein’s ambition to prevent an unprecedented fourth successive term for Harris’ Fine Gael looked probable a year ago.
Its support has however collapsed over the last year and been further hit by a string of internal controversies.
The campaign should be about who can “credibly” increase much needed housing supply and oversee a fair but firm immigration system.
At the same time, it must prepare for a potential transatlantic trade shock from Donald Trump’s election as U.S. president.
Harris said earlier on Friday that this could hit Ireland’s finances.
“Our discussion in the weeks ahead does need to broaden. Up until now it’s been about how you’re going to spend the money available to government,” he said.
“Dependent on being able to spend that money is being able to generate it, keep jobs, keep investment and show leadership at an EU level.”
An average of the most recent polls put Fine Gael on 24.5%, its main coalition partners Fianna Fail on 21.5% and Sinn Fein on 18.5%, according to the Irish Polling Indicator.
Sinn Fein was polling at 35% as recently as a year ago.
Sinn Fein’s lawmakers told suporters said it was naive to write the party off as they sought to turn the focus to voter frustration over unaffordable housing costs and strained state services.
“Simon Harris and (Fianna Fail leader) Micheal Martin believe that they have it all sewn up. I think the people of Ireland will have something to say about that,” Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said.
