Irish citizens head to polls to elect new government on Feb. 26

Irish conservative Prime Minister Enda Kenny announced on Wednesday that general elections will be held on Feb. 26, after one of the shortest campaigns in the history of the country.

Kenny confirmed the date of the elections on his Twitter account after informing the Lower House of Parliament in Dublin that after its dissolution, the new term will begin on Mar. 10.

The premier then met with the president of the Republic of Ireland, Michael Higgins, to formally declare the dissolution of parliament and give the starting signal for the electoral campaign.

In a video he posted on Twitter, Kenny asked the public to vote and highlighted the achievements made by his government, a coalition between Christian Democrats (Fine Gael Party) and the Labour Party, to save the country from economic collapse and restore its international reputation since coming to power in February 2011.

Three months earlier, the previous government, also a coalition between Fine Gael the dominant party for decades and the Green Party, called on the European Union and the IMF for a bailout of 85 billion euros (almost $93 billion), in an aid program that was applied successfully in December 2013.