Ireland: PM's Party Drops to Third Place in Pre-Election Poll
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The Facts
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris' Fine Gael party dropped into third place in recent pre-election opinion polls, losing nearly a quarter of its support in two weeks, with Friday's election rapidly approaching.
The results of the poll, released by the Irish Times on Monday, showed support for Fine Gael dropping from 25% to 19%, while support for Sinn Fein rose a single point, from 19% to 20%.
The Spin
Narrative A
Sinn Fein is doing impressively to have overtaken the governing party in the polls. Having positioned itself as the party of the working class, focusing on issues like housing instability and the cost of living crisis, is clearly paying off. These recent poll numbers reveal how public discontent with Fine Gael is growing, especially after the video of Harris ignoring the plight of a disability care worker went viral.
Narrative B
Fine Gael has a strong political track record. Having been in power for nearly 14 years, the party has built an impressive resume of economic stability and pro-business policies. Despite recent bumps in pre-election polls, Harris is still a relatively well-liked political figure who faces a good chance in the upcoming election. While the race may be close, results are far from decided yet.