Ireland Elects Left-Wing, Pro-Immigrant President

Catherine Connolly, a pro-immigration self-avowed socialist running as an independent, won Ireland’s 2025 presidential election in a landslide Friday, defeating both of the nominees of the country’s two largest parties.

Connolly, 68, pulled in a massive 63.4% of votes, dwarfing the 29.5% received by Fine Gael nominee Heather Humphreys and the 7.2% won by Fianna Fáil nominee Jim Gavin. In her victory speech, the socialist promised to be “an inclusive president” multiple times and expressed her desire to “shape a new republic … that values and champions diversity … and the new people that have come to our country.”

“I will be a president who listens and who reflects and who speaks when necessary, and a voice for peace, a voice that builds on our policy of neutrality, a voice that articulates the existential threat posed by climate change,” the president-elect added in her speech. “And a voice that recognizes the tremendous work being done the length and breadth of the country and we need to recognize that and ensure it is properly resourced.”

Connolly is set to take office on Nov. 11 and will succeed term-limited President Michael D. Higgins, a fellow left-wing socialist who has served since 2011.

Despite running as an independent, Connolly had the support of a litany of left-wing parties, including Sinn Féin, Labour and Social Democrats. She received the highest percentage of votes of any Irish president in the country’s history. The previous record was set in 1959 by Éamon de Valera, a key political leader during the Irish War of Independence against the U.K.

Gavin, the endorsed candidate of Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin,