Romanian president Nicușor Dan congratulates newly elected president of Ireland

Romanian president Nicușor Dan congratulated the newly elected president of Ireland, Catherine Connolly, in a message posted on social media on Sunday, October 26.

“Congratulations to Catherine Connolly on her election as President of Ireland. I am looking forward to working together to develop our bilateral and European cooperation, building upon our countries' excellent relations and the links fostered by the Romanian community in Ireland,” the Romanian head of state conveyed on X.

Catherine Connolly, 68, ran as an independent and was supported by the left-wing opposition. She defeated Heather Humphreys, a member of the center-right governing party Fine Gael, winning 63% of votes in a race defined by low turnout and miscast ballots.

The Irish presidency is largely ceremonial, but the vote is seen as directed against the current center-right government.

Connolly, who is known for her pro-Palestine, at times eurosceptic views, made her acceptance speech first in Irish and then in English. She spoke about climate change and about building a “policy of neutrality,” according to the Irish Times.

The new Irish president is well aware of everyday difficulties. She grew up in social housing in a suburb of Galway in western Ireland as one of 14 children. Her mother died when she was nine years old, and her father worked at a local shipyard.

Around 42,000 live in Ireland, according to a 2022 census.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos | George Calin and Catherine Connolly for President on Facebook)