The general election in the Republic of Ireland has resulted in 110 of the 160 seat parliament being shared practically equally between three main parties, of which Sinn Féin must now be counted one. Since neither of the other two parties contemplate negotiating with an organisation still linked to the terrorist IRA, and seem to be wary of a coalition with each other, it looks from the outside as if there will have to be fresh elections.
The stand-off will remove a strong voice in the EU for a mutually-beneficial free trade agreement with the UK. Prime minister Varadkar may have lost the trust of the Republic's voters for largely internal reasons, but there is no doubt that he had a high profile on the European scene. Ireland's influence will inevitably wane as her politicians' concerns turn inwards.
The strength of Sinn Féin south of the border may also inhibit the sentiment, which had been growing, in Northern Ireland for reunification. Both these factors strengthen the hands of those Brexiteers who want to see a complete break with the EU and a subordinate relationship with the United States.
Opponents of proportional voting in Westminster elections might like to consider that if the Irish election had been held on a first-past-the-post basis, Sinn Féin would have been the strongest party in the Dáil Éireann by a significant margin.
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