DUBLIN — On Friday, Ireland held a crucial parliamentary election that will determine the composition of its government and assess whether the nation diverges from the global pattern of voters replacing incumbent administrations, a trend influenced by dissatisfaction following years of a pandemic, global turmoil, and rising living costs.

Polling stations opened their doors at 7 a.m. (0700 GMT), allowing the 3.8 million eligible voters to participate in selecting 174 representatives for the Dáil, which is the lower chamber of parliament.

Political analysts suggest that the most probable outcome of this election may be a continuation of the coalition led by the current center-right parties, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. However, the final results could vary significantly as numerous factors influence voter decisions.