DUBLIN (Europe) – Ireland’s Fine Gael and Fianna Fail parties began on Wednesday to develop a policy programme to form a new government that the leaders of the historic rivals said would need to be agreed within weeks to help the country through the coronavirus crisis.
Acting Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar’s Fine Gael agreed two weeks ago to step up talks with Fianna Fail following an inconclusive Feb. 8 election, but emergency measures to fight the health and economic crisis have taken precedence as confirmed coronavirus cases in the country rose above 1,500.
The centre-right parties – who need the support of at least one smaller party or group of independent lawmakers to reach a majority – met on Wednesday and would do so again over the coming days while also reaching out to other parties, they said.
“They both agree the need to form a strong stable government that will help Ireland recover post COVID-19,” the parties said in identical statements following the meeting. “They are working to develop a Programme for Government that provides stability and a working majority in the Dáil (parliament).”
Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, rivals on the centre-right who have alternated in power for most of the nation’s history but have never formed a coalition together, both refuse to govern with the left-wing, pro-Irish unity Sinn Fein party, which surged to 37 seats in last month’s election.
Varadkar said earlier on Wednesday that it would be possible to form a new government “in the next couple of weeks”, although a source close to the talks later clarified that he meant the next few weeks.
Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin gave a similar timetable in an interview with the Newstalk radio station.
Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have 37 and 35 seats respectively in the fractured 160-seat parliament, which is sitting only intermittently.
Lawmakers passed a series of emergency measures last week and will do so again on Thursday. But Varadkar said there was concern about the ability to pass laws after next week once elections to the upper house were completed.
Ireland’s upper house of parliament cannot be fully constituted until an additional selection of members are picked by a new prime minister.
For a new government to last a full term, Varadkar said, it would need a stable working majority of 82 to 85, which means having at least 10 more lawmakers willing to come on board with the two largest parties.
The Green Party, which has 12 seats, has been courted by Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, but it is calling for a temporary national government encompassing the whole parliament while the coronavirus crisis continues.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)