26 February 2016: Parliamentary elections in Ireland
The general elections took place on 26 February and resulted in 8 parties obtaining seats in the Parliament. The Fine Gael party won 50 and Fianna Fáil 44 seats. The elections show that both Fine Gael and Labour Party, which previously formed a coalition, have lost a significant amount of support and the same coalition will no longer be possible. Forming a new coalition might prove a challenge for the participants as their beliefs vary and the middle ground could be difficult to achieve. The establishment of a new administration is expected to take at least two months. The new Dáil will meet on 10 March in order to nominate a new Prime Minister (Toaiseach).
