Maximalist or minimalist: Assessing the impact of Michael D. Higgins on the office of president of Ireland

On 27 October 2025, Irish citizens will vote to decide who will become the tenth president of Ireland and succeed President Michael D. Higgins after his 14 years and 2 terms in office. As the campaign to elect the next president begins, an analysis of the legacy of the Higgins presidency has also started. Throughout his presidency, Higgins, a former minister, poet and academic with a political background on the left of Ireland’s Labour Party (Socialists and Democrats), has attracted significant controversy for breaking with a convention that sees holders of the office refrain from engaging in political debate. Indeed, Higgins has frequently placed himself (and subsequently the office of the president of Ireland) in unprecedented conflict with the Irish government. This article examines his presidency in a comparative context in terms of whether it was maximalist or minimalist, while offering a broader assessment of his impact over the past 14 years.