New Irish President Catherine Connolly: Symbol of tolerance

Journey of Compassion

Born in the port city of Galway, in the west of Ireland, Catherine Connolly grew up in public housing with 13 siblings. She once said that her most lasting memory of her childhood was not poverty, but “the feeling of a community that never left anyone behind.” When she was only nine, her mother died, and her father had to work in the shipyards to support his young children. Growing up in such circumstances, Connolly soon learned that survival required not only will but also compassion – something that would later become the guiding principle of her political career.

After graduating from university with a degree in clinical psychology and then a law degree, Catherine Connolly worked for many years as a lawyer, defending the vulnerable in housing and labor disputes. Her years in Galway gave her a close-up view of the growing gap between rich and poor – an injustice that Ireland’s welfare system had yet to address. In 1999, Catherine Connolly entered politics when she was elected as a Labour Party member of Galway City Council. Just five years later, she became the city’s first female Mayor – the first person from a working-class background to hold the position. But as the Labour Party gradually shifted to the center, supporting policies that cut social spending, she left the party in 2007 to choose the independent path – a bold decision at the time. In the eyes of her colleagues, behind the gentle exterior of a woman full of empathy, Catherine Connolly was a very determined politician. She often did not compromise on what she believed was wrong, and in the way that “she could lose votes, but never lose principles”. It was this steadfastness that helped Connolly gradually build the image of a politician close to the people, who was willing to stand in the middle of the street listening to homeless people talk about their last meal of the day, instead of just giving speeches in the hall.

In 2016, Catherine Connolly won the MP seat for Galway West as an independent. She was re-elected consecutively and was elected Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons in 2020 - the first woman in history to hold this position. In the 2025 presidential campaign, Catherine Connolly was not considered a "heavyweight" candidate when her opponent was former Minister Heather Humphreys - who was backed by the center-right Fine Gael party. But Connolly turned the unexpected into reality. She traveled around small towns, held community meetings, talked about topics that voters found close to home, such as housing, the cost of living, peace or the right to be heard. The Irish media called it a "campaign of trust", where the 68-year-old woman without a powerful apparatus still won millions of hearts with sincerity. As the results were announced at Dublin Castle, Catherine Connolly stepped out before the crowd, smiling broadly and pledging to be a tolerant President, a voice for peace, and a defender of Ireland's tradition of neutrality.

TheEuropean caution

If Catherine Connolly’s victory was a surprise, her style on the international stage was even more remarkable. Unlike most European leaders who are trying to demonstrate a consensus on defense and foreign policy, Connolly chose a different way of speaking: she does not believe in military solutions, and is not afraid to criticize the EU for straying from its own Enlightenment values. At a time when Europe is caught up in debates about military aid, responsibility in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), or stance on conflicts such as Ukraine and Israel-Palestine, Catherine Connolly stands out as an independent voice – somewhat outspoken to the point of controversy. She has openly condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza, criticized the European Union for its “militarization” since the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and even said that the EU is “losing its soul” by pursuing increased defense spending, instead of investing in dialogue and welfare. She also compared the current armament trend to Europe in the 1930s – a comparison that made Brussels “uncomfortable”. But even so, European diplomats had to admit that Catherine Connolly’s straightforward statements touched on the thorniest issue of the EU today, between the need to strengthen common defense and the tradition of neutrality of some countries such as Ireland, Austria or Malta.

In Brussels, therefore, the reaction to Catherine Connolly’s victory was two-faced. On the one hand, EU officials publicly congratulated her and praised “Ireland’s strong democratic tradition.” But in internal discussions, policymakers expressed concern that the new president’s statements could affect the bloc’s image of unity, especially in the context of the EU preparing for its common defense plan for 2026-2030. An EU official shared that Ireland remains an important part of the Union, but if Connolly continues to publicly criticize Europe’s militarization programs, the EU will have to find a way to keep the message consistent at the bloc level. In fact, immediately after Catherine Connolly was elected, the Office of the European Commission sent an official congratulatory message, but also emphasized that the EU “respects Ireland’s neutrality while continuing to encourage all members to contribute to collective security.” The diplomatic language reflects the delicate balance Brussels is trying to maintain. Although Connolly will not have direct control over Ireland’s foreign policy during her seven-year term, Irish political history shows that presidents have a strong influence on public opinion and the minds of voters who shape subsequent elections. With her charisma, Connolly could help to build support for a more independent Ireland in its foreign policy stance, while also restoring confidence that humanitarian values ​​remain the foundation of European politics. In fact, Catherine Connolly’s outspokenness may make European diplomats wary, but domestically she has cemented her image as Ireland’s “neutral identity”. During the election campaign, she insisted that she would defend the rule that the Irish military would only participate in international missions with the approval of the United Nations, the government and parliament. She also called for a referendum if the government wanted to change the rule – a move seen as a direct challenge to Ireland’s pro-European stance. Those views helped Connolly appeal to younger voters who had lost faith in traditional parties.

In a world of political calculation, the candor and generosity of Ireland’s new president is a rare commodity. While the future may place limits on the role of a largely ceremonial president, Catherine Connolly is bringing to Ireland something every country wants: the belief that politics can still be built on compassion.