An election in Ireland is likely to see the status quo remain, with the two biggest parties in the previous governing coalition Fianna Fail (FF) and Fine Gael (FG), being just short of being able to govern together.
In the election held last week FF won 48 seats of the 174 available in the Dail Eireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament. This was an increase of ten compared to the previous election.
Sinn Fein, the Irish nationalists, were the second-biggest party, with 39 seats, an increase of two. FG, the party of Irish Taoiseach (the Irish term for Prime Minister), Simon Harris, third with 38 seats, up from three.
Other parties which won seats included the Social Democrats, with eleven; Labour, also with eleven; Independent Ireland, a new right-wing party, with four; and the left-wing PBP-Solidarity securing three. Other parties which made it to the Dail Eireann were Aontu, with two seats, and the Greens, with one.
Sixteen independents also won seats.
The previous government had been made up of FF, FG, and the Greens had formed a government. Together FF and FG have 86 seats, just short of a majority. However, in the previous election the Greens had done much better, with twelve seats, and the party is unlikely to form part of the new Irish government.
Observers believe FF and FG will form a coalition to govern as a minority, or may approach the Social Democrats or Labour, for support. There is also a possibility that Sinn Fein could also attempt to form a minority coalition government with the Social Democrats and Labour.