Conor McGregor may be readying himself for a different type of fight.
The Irishman, who is expected to make his return to the UFC cage in the coming months, has long been vocal about a range of political issues in his native Ireland and ahead of a vacancy opening up in the Irish President’s office next year, McGregor has said that he may contemplate a run at the job.
“As President I hold the power to summon the Dáil [Irish parliament] as well as dissolve it,” McGregor wrote Thursday on the platform previously known as Twitter. “So as I said before, I would have all the answers the people of Ireland seek from these thieves of the working man, these disrupters of the family unit, these destructors of small businesses, and on and on and on!”
McGregor’s comments come amid political rancour in his native country, some of which was enflamed this week when it emerged that an eye-watering sum north of €300,000 had been spent to erect a bike shed at the government buildings in Dublin.
And it is this type of neglectful spending that McGregor says he would address in office.
As President I hold the power to summon the Dáil as well as dissolve it. So as i said before, I would have all the answers the people of Ireland seek from these thieves of the working man, these disrupters of the family unit, these destructors of small businesses, and on and on…
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) September 5, 2024
Potential competition if I run. Gerry, 78. Bertie. 75. Enda, 74. Each with unbreakable ties to their individual parties politics. Regardless of what the public outside of their parties feel. These parties govern themselves vs govern the people. Or me, 35. Young, active,… pic.twitter.com/HiLn3jAQ2e
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 4, 2023
“These charlatans in their positions of power would be summoned to answer to the people of Ireland and I would have it done by day end,” he wrote. “Or I would be left with no choice but to dissolve the Dáil entirely. Stop the train until. The people of Ireland deserve the answers they seek. Point blank.
“This would be my power as President. I know very well. Ireland needs an active President employed wholly by the people of Ireland. It is me. I am the only logical choice. 2025 is upcoming…”
The term of current Irish president Michael D. Higgins will end in November 2025, at which point an election will be held to determine his successor. The office of the Irish presidency is a largely ceremonial role, with the primary functions of state overseen by the Taoiseach [Prime Minister] Simon Harris.
But as McGregor notes, the president does have power when it comes to the Dáil — and in particular over issues related to dissolving it.
McGregor previously referenced a possible presidential run last year, noting that several of his possible opponents including veteran Irish political figures Enda Kenny, Bertie Ahern and Gerry Adams are all in their 70s.
