FORMER GREEN PARTY candidate Saoirse McHugh has announced that she is running as an independent in the upcoming European elections.

In a social media post on X, McHugh said she will “fight for fairness, for people, for nature, and for a better future for everybody”.

She added: “The EU has long prioritised big businesses over people and we need every progressive voice there that we can get.”

The European Parliament elections will take place alongside local elections on 7 June.

The Achill activist rose to prominence after an appearance on Prime Time during the European election campaign in 2019, where she spoke passionately about the need for reform of the Direct Provision system and strongly criticised “millionaires scapegoating migrants”.

She finished sixth in what was then a four-seat constituency.

The following year, in 2020, McHugh contested the general election for the Green Party in Mayo but missed out and later in the same year came close to securing a seat in the Seanad election.

But in July of 2020, McHugh left the Green Party after it entered into a coalition with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

In a series of tweets at the time, McHugh said her reasons for leaving are “obvious” and described the Programme for Government that was agreed as a “terrible document” that will do “massive damage”.

The Midlands North-West is now a five-seat constituency and several high profile candidates are in the running.

Over 20 people are in the running, including sitting MEPs Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, Sinn Fein’s Chris MacManus, and Fine Gael’s Maria Walsh.

Former jockey and Dancing with the Stars winner Nina Carberry is also in the running for Fine Gael, while former RTÉ journalist Ciaran Mullooly a candidate for newly-formed Independent Ireland.

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín is also contesting, while Fianna Fáil are running Barry Cowen TD and Senators Lisa Chambers and Niall Blaney.

Michelle Gildernew, currently a Sinn Féin MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, is also in the running.

Other candidates include housing expert Rory Hearne who is in the running with the Social Democrats, Green Party Senator Pauline O’Reilly, and Fergal Landy for the Labour Party.