Question about forming a coalition

Hollister11

I was watching Enda Kennys interview on prime time, and he was saying after the next election he would like to be back in power with labour.
What would happen if just say fine gael got the most votes, but labour got the least, would Fine Gael have to form a government with the next highest party, or is it up to them to they want to form a government with.

Un Croissant

Hollister11 wrote: »

I was watching Enda Kennys interview on prime time, and he was saying after the next election he would like to be back in power with labour.
What would happen if just say fine gael got the most votes, but labour got the least, would Fine Gael have to form a government with the next highest party, or is it up to them to they want to form a government with.

Well FG couldn't form a majority a few years ago when it was most likely that they'd have been able to. It seems like Labour will half and FG won't make up their seats to keep both parties in power.

But they do have a choice in who to go in with. They will negotiate with FF and SF mainly to see what the best deal is. A block of independents would do but you'd be making problems for yourself.

That's my take on it anyway.

Hollister11

Un Croissant wrote: »

Well FG couldn't form a majority a few years ago when it was most likely that they'd have been able to. It seems like Labour will half and FG won't make up their seats to keep both parties in power.

But they do have a choice in who to go in with. They will negotiate with FF and SF mainly to see what the best deal is. A block of independents would do but you'd be making problems for yourself.

That's my take on it anyway.

So just say Sinn Fein get more seats then Finna Fail, Fine Gael can decide Finna fail are more suitable even though they have less seats

Un Croissant

Hollister11 wrote: »

So just say Sinn Fein get more seats then Finna Fail, Fine Gael can decide Finna fail are more suitable even though they have less seats

That's exactly it. Which is the likely outcome as far as I know. Barring a throwaway budget and a heave from inside. But I won't keep banging that drum.

conorh91

Hollister11 wrote: »

What would happen if just say fine gael got the most votes, but labour got the least, would Fine Gael have to form a government with the next highest party, or is it up to them to they want to form a government with.

It's up to them.

Any Taoiseach could appoint eleven members of the Catholic Democrats to the Seanad, appoint two of them to Government, and formally enter coalition with the Catholic Democrats, despite them not having returned a single Dail seat.

Of course, he'd have to cope with a Dail minority, or invite a third coalition party.

The point is that there is no threshold requirement in the Houses of the Oireachtas before an Oireachtas party may become eligible to enter Government. There would be problems of democratic legitimacy, but that's always been beside the point.

unfortunately

I have a question too; is it always the largest party that gets to chose partners? Say Party A has 40% of the seats but Party B (30%) and Party C (21%) decide to go into coalition, could B & C form a government if A couldn't get the numbers?

Or is it possible but just very unlikely to happen.

BOHtox

unfortunately wrote: »

I have a question too; is it always the largest party that gets to chose partners? Say Party A has 40% of the seats but Party B (30%) and Party C (21%) decide to go into coalition, could B & C form a government if A couldn't get the numbers?

Or is it possible but just very unlikely to happen.

It does happen and has happened. In November 1982, FF were the largest party with 75 seats but the government that was formed was FG with 70 and labour with 16.

Annasopra

Hollister11 wrote: »

I was watching Enda Kennys interview on prime time, and he was saying after the next election he would like to be back in power with labour.
What would happen if just say fine gael got the most votes, but labour got the least, would Fine Gael have to form a government with the next highest party, or is it up to them to they want to form a government with.

Any party could coalesce with any other

Annasopra

unfortunately wrote: »

I have a question too; is it always the largest party that gets to chose partners? Say Party A has 40% of the seats but Party B (30%) and Party C (21%) decide to go into coalition, could B & C form a government if A couldn't get the numbers?

Or is it possible but just very unlikely to happen.

Yes of course B and C could join together.

See in 1992 this happened

FF - first 68 seats
FG - second 45 seats
Labour - third 33 seats
PDs - fourth 10 seats
DL - fifth 4 seats

92 coalition formed ff + labour
94 gov brokedown no election coalition formed fg + lab + DL

Muahahaha

Don't forget that in 2007 Enda Kenny approached Sinn Fein about the possibility of going into coalition. He did this with the full knowledge of IRA/SF history. Now its 8 years further down the line and 8 years further into the peace process and he describes Sinn Fein as abhorrent.

What the exercise shows is that politicians would get into bed with anyone if it means they get the Mercs and perks. Promises made during elections are easily ignored after them.

DavidRamsay99

The parties will form coalitions based on seat numbers and the political calculus.
<snip>

<Mod note - You don't need to resort to personal abuse to make your point - js>

Godge

Muahahaha wrote: »

Don't forget that in 2007 Enda Kenny approached Sinn Fein about the possibility of going into coalition. He did this with the full knowledge of IRA/SF history. Now its 8 years further down the line and 8 years further into the peace process and he describes Sinn Fein as abhorrent.

What the exercise shows is that politicians would get into bed with anyone if it means they get the Mercs and perks. Promises made during elections are easily ignored after them.

Can you produce a credible link for this story?