Dublin: In a surprising turn of events, independent candidates are outpacing political parties in the local elections. According to a recent opinion poll, 23% of voters nationwide prefer independents.
In contrast, traditional parties are trailing. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are behind the main opposition, Sinn Féin, whose popularity has sharply declined. Sinn Féin’s support has dropped by 4.6%, leaving them with just 17.4%.
Despite this, Sinn Féin remains the top choice for young voters in the European elections. The poll indicates that 22% of 18-34-year-olds support Mary Lou MacDonald’s party.
Fine Gael holds second place overall but has seen a slight drop to 18%. Fianna Fáil is the most favored among over-65s, with 32% support compared to Fine Gael’s 26%.
Independents continue to grow in popularity, with 30% of 18-34-year-olds and 32% of 35-64-year-olds planning to vote for them. The rise of smaller parties is also notable, with groups like the Green Party and Social Democrats seeing slight increases.
The polls, conducted from May 24-27, suggest a significant increase in voter turnout for the European elections on June 7, with 90% of people planning to vote.
