The leader of Fianna Fail has been elected for a second term after the chaos in the Irish parliament calmed down.
Micheal Martin was elected for the second time as the Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland.
On Thursday, MPs voted 95 to 76 to nominate Fianna Fail leader.
Martin will lead a coalition government made up of the two largest center-right parties, along with independent representatives.
His appointment was delayed a day after the first vote for his election on Wednesday descended into chaos as parliament was suspended after opposition protests about the right to speak of independent representatives who support the upcoming coalition. The impasse over the right to speak was broken in overnight talks.
The coalition is the second in line between historic rivals Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, who have led every government together since 1937. The independent ministers will meanwhile replace junior coalition partner the Green Party, which lost most of its seats in the elections in November.
Martin, 64, previously served as Prime Minister from 2020 to 2022 before handing over the post to Fine Gael for the second half of his term. According to the coalition agreement, outgoing Prime Minister Simon Harris is due to return as Prime Minister in 2027.
Harris will replace Martin as deputy prime minister for the time being, and will probably also take over as foreign minister. On the other hand, Fine Gael’s Paschal Donohoe – chairman of the group of eurozone finance ministers – is expected to return as finance minister.
Ireland is bracing for the economic fallout return United States President Donald Trump, whose promise to cut corporate taxes poses a potential threat to the country’s foreign multinational economy.
“For us today, the task is to protect Ireland’s strength at a time of real threat, while at the same time addressing key societal needs. By any reasonable measure, this is a challenging moment in world history,” an emotional Martin told parliament after being elected.
He said that key to protecting and rebuilding the Irish economic model would be strengthening “three essential relationships” with Europe, the US and the UK.
“We are not naive about the reality of change [in the US]but equally the relationship between Ireland and America is one that benefits both of us and it will emerge strongly no matter what.”
The coalition has pledged to use tax revenue from the country’s cluster of US multinationals to continue boosting public sector investment and cut taxes, while also building up Ireland’s sovereign wealth fund.
Martin, who was first elected to parliament 36 years ago, was a senior member of the Fianna Fail government that signed up European Union-IMF rescue 2010, leading to an unprecedented electoral collapse in 2011 just after he took over as leader.
The former history professor, who oversaw several ministries including health, trade and education, led a rapid recovery in the party’s fortunes to return Fianna Fail to power nine years later.
