Most recent elections around the West have seen voters punish incumbents for rising inflation and the end of pandemic-era support programs. Ireland’s election last Friday was thus something of a relief for ruling parties Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

At one level, the vote was an endorsement of continuity, but the stability in Ireland’s political center ground masked volatility on the fringes.

Ireland has proved a partial exception to the anti-incumbent mood in elections around the world. Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, which have dominated Irish politics for a century, remain in the driving seat, though their combined share of the vote has declined to just over 40%.