Irish President Higgins re-elected «kleinezeitung.at

Irish President Michael D. Higgins was re-elected for a second term. At the age of 77, he won 56% of the vote. The Irish also voted by a large majority to lift the ban on blasphemy.

3:26 am, October 28, 2018

The Irish President Michael D. Higgins was re-elected for a second term. The 77 – year – old candidate won 56% of the vote in Friday 's election, which defeated his five competitors, as the electoral commission announced on Saturday. In second place landed the entrepreneur Peter Caseywho came to 23 percent.

Higgins has held the largely representative post of the Irish president since 2011. At the age of 77, he had clearly become a favorite.

The Irish would have opted for hope and not to take advantage of fear or division, said Higgins, to the applause of a speech delivered Saturday in Dublin. "I will be a president for all the people, for those who elected me and for those who did not elect me."

Head of Government Leo Varadkar congratulated on Twitter. "I am very happy that you are our president for the next seven years," he wrote. Higgins has achieved a historic result.

Blasphemieverbot

The Irish also voted by a large majority to lift the ban on blasphemy. In a referendum held in parallel with the presidential election, 65% of the participants voted in favor of deleting a corresponding constitutional article.

Blasphemy has been punished in Ireland with a fine of up to 25,000 euros. However, the constitutional clause has never been used in the recent history of the country and was therefore considered superfluous. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said he was satisfied with the outcome of the referendum. The prohibition of blasphemy does not belong in the Irish constitution. Ireland is justifiably proud of its "modern and liberal society".

Distance to Catholicism

Ireland has recently moved away from its strong Catholic tradition. It was not until May that Irish voters voted in favor of legalizing abortions by a large majority in a referendum. Same-bad marriages have been possible for three years.

A referendum on another obsolete article in the Irish Constitution on the role of women at home is in preparation. However, when it has to take place, it is not yet clear.