Irish Elections Loom: Harris Sets the Stage for November Showdown

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris plans to call an election this week, aiming for a November polling date. The move follows a generous budget and targets to resolve pending legislative activities. Polls indicate Harris' Fine Gael leads, with Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein trailing.

In a decisive move, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris announced plans to call a parliamentary election later this week, likely setting the polling date for the end of November. This announcement follows a significant 10.5 billion euro budget aimed at boosting public sentiment.

Harris intends to dissolve the Dail by the week's end, signaling no surprise to citizens given the recent budget transformations. He stated that crucial legislative work must be completed by Thursday, paving the way for a potential November 29 election date.

Recent opinion polls place Harris' Fine Gael party at 26%, maintaining a lead over coalition partners Fianna Fail at 20% and the main opposition, Sinn Fein, at 18%.

(With inputs from agencies.)