Ireland’s newly elected president, Catherine Connolly, has been described by one media outlet as hostile to Donald Trump in her comments about the U.S. leader.
A day after Ireland went to the polls to elect the head of state, Connolly’s opponent, Heather Humphreys, 62, a former cabinet minister, conceded the election on Saturday. Deputy prime minister Simon Harris also congratulated Connolly for her victory which is expected to be formally announced later on Saturday.
The role is largely ceremonial, but Connolly’s previous comments suggest that she has the potential to shake up the political establishment, having previously taken aim at the EU, NATO, as well as the U.S. president.
During a campaign debate this week, Connolly gave a measured response to the prospect of a meeting with Trump, replying, “if it’s just a meet and greet, then I will meet and greet.”
Why It Matters
The Irish president does not set foreign policy nor have any day-to-day role in the country’s government, but they do represent Ireland at major international events and state visits.
U.S. has a large Irish-American population and as such, ties between Dublin and Washington are historically close.
An Irish president potentially critical of Trump could impact this as well as economic ties between the U.S. and Ireland, which is a key American trading partner and technology hub.
What To Know
Connolly, 68, a leftwing independent candidate and a former mayor of the western city of Galway, had been favored to win in opinion polls that preceded Friday’s election.
Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys congratulated Catherine Connolly on her victory on Saturday, saying that she would be “a president for all of us.”
Connolly has said she is a socialist and pacifist and has been critical of NATO, the European Union, and what she describes as European “militarization.”
Connolly had condemned Israel for its two-year war in Gaza, which is a popular view in Ireland, whose government has publicly sympathized with the Palestinians and criticized the government of Benjamin Netanyahu.
A profile piece by Politico said that her “hostility to Donald Trump put her at odds with the Irish government.”
She was asked during a TV debate how she would treat a visit by the U.S. president and whether she would challenge his backing of Israel in its war in Gaza.
Connolly replied that “genocide was enabled and resourced by American money,” but regarding a Trump visit, she would “meet and greet.” However, if the discussion is genocide, “then that’s a completely different thing.”
Connolly has publicly described Trump as “volatile, unpredictable, acting like a bully, bringing in tariffs when it suits him.”
She has also more broadly described the United States as an “imperial power” and claims it is part of global instability. She has argued that Ireland cannot fully trust the U.S., the U.K. or France because, in her view, they are “deeply entrenched in an arms industry which causes bloodshed across the world.
Connolly has also compared Germany’s arms spending to the Nazi era and accused the UK and U.S. of enabling genocide in Gaza.
In August, she was asked about her past comments that Ireland cannot trust the U.S., England or France, replying that every person in Ireland has a “trust problem with America.”
What People Are Saying
Newly-elected Irish president Catherine Connolly when asked if she would talk with President Donald Trump, replied: “If it’s just a meet and greet, then I will meet and greet. If the discussion is genocide (in Gaza), then that’s a completely different thing.”
In August she said, as per Limerick Leader: “Have I a trust problem with America? I think every person in the country has a trust problem with America.”
What Happens Next
Ireland’s relationship with the U.S. will remain important, although there will be anticipation over whether Connolly’s presidency will herald any change in their ties.
