In the latest instalment of EM Ireland’s ‘Just the Facts’ series, we will be exploring Ireland’s recent general election, held on 8 February, from an EU perspective.

Sinn Féin, for the first time, received the highest share of votes in a general election. This is a change to the status quo in the Irish political landscape, which has been dominated by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael since the foundation of the Irish state in 1922.

Sinn Féin received the largest share of first preferences at 24.5% (+10.7% compared to 2016), followed closely behind by Fianna Fáil at 22.2% (-2.1%) and Fine Gael at 20.9% (-4.7%).

The 2020 general election resulted in the lowest combined share of first preferences for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, at 43.4%. As recently as 1982, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael held 84.6% of votes, as outlined in Chart 1., however, this share has gradually declined, a decline facilitated in part, by the introduction of new parties to the political arena.

Turnout in the 2020 general election was 62.9%, down -2.2% compared with the 2016 general election, as outlined in Chart 2. Although turnout declined, the actual number of people that voted rose by over 32,400 compared with 2016. A potential explanation for the figures is found in the considerable number of people that joined the register of electors (c. 146,000) in the run-up to the 2018 referendum on the Eight Amendment.

Read the full report here.