Catherine Connolly elected new president of Ireland: NPR

LONDON — Ireland’s president for the next seven years is an independent lawmaker who has long spoken out in support of the Palestinians and expressed distrust of European Union policies.

Left-wing independent Catherine Connolly, 68, won 63% of the vote in a landslide election victory on Saturday, comfortably beating her centre-right rival, former minister Heather Humphreys.

The politician won after Ireland’s left-wing opposition parties, including Sinn Féin, united in support of her, and she is expected to be a voice unafraid to challenge Ireland’s center-right government.

Although Irish presidents play a largely ceremonial role and do not have executive powers such as law-making, they represent Ireland on the world stage and are often seen as a unifying voice on major issues. Connolly will succeed Michael D. Higgins, a popular president who has spoken out on, among other things, the war in Gaza and NATO spending.

Connolly promised Saturday to be “an inclusive president” who would champion diversity and be “a voice for peace.”

An overview of Connolly’s background and opinions:

From independent lawmaker to president

Connolly, a mother of two sons, has served three terms as an independent legislator from Galway West since being elected to Parliament in 2016. In 2020, she became the first woman to serve as deputy speaker of the lower house of Parliament.

Catherine Connolly meets her supporters at Dublin Castle on Saturday.

Niall Carson/AP

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Niall Carson/AP

She grew up in social housing in a suburb of Galway, in the west of Ireland, in a family of 14 children. Her mother died when she was nine and her father worked in a local shipyard. When she was a student, she volunteered with a Catholic organization to help the elderly and took on other community roles.

She has degrees in clinical psychology and law and was a lawyer before entering politics.

Connolly began her political career when she was elected as a Labor Party member of Galway City Council in 1999. Five years later, she was elected Mayor of Galway City. She left the Labor Party in 2007.

Outspoken opinions against Israel and the EU

Connolly has not shied away from criticizing Israel over the Gaza war.

In September, she drew criticism for calling Hamas “an integral part of the social fabric of the Palestinian people.” Prime Minister Micheál Martin criticized him for appearing reluctant to condemn the militant group’s actions during the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the two-year war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

She then said she “totally condemned” Hamas’ actions, while criticizing Israel for carrying out what she called a genocide in Gaza.

On Europe, she has repeatedly criticized the European Union for its increasing “militarization” following Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, made comparisons with Nazi-era weaponry in the 1930s, and questioned NATO’s expansion to the East. Critics said the comments, along with other criticism of the United States and the United Kingdom, risked alienating Ireland’s allies.

Connolly also stressed that she wanted to defend Ireland’s tradition of military neutrality, in the face of calls for the country to contribute more to European defense. During her campaign, she said there should be a referendum on a government plan to remove the “triple lock” – the conditions for deploying Irish soldiers on international missions.

Connolly’s outspoken style and message of social equality and inclusiveness appealed to many people, particularly young voters. During the televised presidential debates, she said she would respect the boundaries of her office — although she also said in her acceptance speech that she would speak “when necessary” as president.

“Together we can shape a new republic that values ​​everyone, that values ​​and champions diversity and that takes confidence in our own identity, our Irish language, our English language and the new people who have come to our country,” she said at Dublin Castle on Saturday.