According to preliminary data, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are going to create a new coalition

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Ireland’s current ruling parties Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael appear to be on track to form a new coalition on Saturday as votes continue to be counted in the country’s general election.

Early indications are that centrist Fianna Fáil could emerge as the largest party with 21.9% of the vote, with conservative Fine Gael on 20.5% and main opposition Sinn Féin on 19.1%, according to Virgin Media analysis.

On Friday night, an exit poll showed Sinn Féin narrowly ahead of Fine Gael, with Fianna Fáil in third place.

By Saturday evening, only a few locations had been announced. Results were expected to arrive over the weekend as lengthy vote counts continued under Ireland’s proportional representation system. Forming a government may take weeks or months.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have governed in coalition since the last election in 2020 and have urged voters to support their experience given concerns about global events. economic turbulence as Donald Trump returns to the White House early next year.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said there was a “path to government” but it was too early to say who would be there.

It was unclear whether the pair would have enough seats to form a government on their own. Otherwise, they will likely need the support of at least one smaller party. The outgoing junior coalition partner, the Green Party, looks set to lose most of its 12 seats.

“Today was not our day,” said Eamon Ryan, leader of the Greens.

Fine Gael has been in power since 2011 and is seeking a record fourth mandate.

But Sinn Féin insisted it could still find a path to power.

“We have broken the mold here in this state and bipartisan politics is a thing of the past, consigned to the dustbin of history,” said Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, who arrived at the Dublin counting center on Saturday night to greet him.

Sinn Féin has no firm allies and it was unclear how it would win the 88 seats needed to form a government, with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael saying differences in policy made it impossible to form a coalition together.

Sinn Féin alarmed business leaders during the election campaign with promises of policy changes, tax cuts and spending commitments.

“Sinn Fein. . . has a very strong mandate from the people,” McDonald said. “Let’s wait and see what the numbers lead to, and then I’m going to be very, very active in pushing other configurations that will lead to a change of government.”

Social Democrat deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan said his party “will negotiate with all parties”. Asked if this included Sinn Féin, he replied: “Yes.”

He predicted that his party would become the fourth largest in the new parliament.

Famous gangster figure Jerry “Monk” Hutchrunning as an independent candidate appeared to have a chance of winning the Dublin seat after gaining strong support in urban areas.

An exit poll by Ipsos B&A found housing to be the most important issue among voters and Martin the best choice to become prime minister, replacing incumbent Fine Gael’s Simon Harris.

Harris said he was “cautiously optimistic about the weeks ahead.”

In north-west County Donegal, a party campaigning for 100 per cent compensation for people whose homes are destroyed by faulty building materials was also hoping to take seats.