Editing Garret FitzGerald (section)

=== Infighting and declining support ===
FitzGerald attempted to reshuffle his cabinet in February 1986, but certain ministers resisted – notably [[Barry Desmond]], who refused to move from his Health and Social Welfare portfolio. The eventual outcome of the cabinet changes further undermined FitzGerald's authority. The new [[Progressive Democrats]] party was launched later that year by [[Desmond O'Malley]] out of the divisions within Fianna Fáil. It struck an immediate chord with many disenchanted Fine Gael supporters who had tired of the failure to address the economic crisis fully and who yearned for a coherent right-wing policy from FitzGerald. Seeing their party's support base under attack from the right only strengthened the resolve of FitzGerald's Fine Gael colleagues to break with the Labour Party approach, despite their leader's close empathy with Labour.

Stymied by the economic crisis, FitzGerald tried to rescue some of his ambitions to reform the state, and he proposed, in the middle of 1986, a referendum to change the constitution to allow for divorce. The proposed amendment was mired in controversy, and the many accompanying legal changes needed were not presented. Haughey skilfully opposed the referendum along with the Roman Catholic Church and landed interests worried about property rights.{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}}

In January 1987, the Labour Party members of the government withdrew from the government over disagreements due to budget proposals. Lacking a parliamentary majority, FitzGerald sought a dissolution of the Dáil, which was granted, continuing to lead a minority Fine Gael government until after the election. In the [[1987 Irish general election|1987 general election]], Fine Gael stood on the proposed stringent budgetary cutbacks that Labour had blocked for four years. Fianna Fáil returned to office in March 1987 after Fine Gael was heavily defeated in the election. The Progressive Democrats won 14 seats, mainly from [[Fine Gael]]. Although Haughey did not have an overall majority, when it came to the [[Dáil vote for Taoiseach|Dáil vote on the nomination of Taoiseach]], the Independent left-wing TD [[Tony Gregory]] voted against FitzGerald but abstained on Haughey, seeing Haughey as the "lesser of two evils". This was because of Gregory's opposition to the Anglo-Irish agreement and his strong personal dislike for FitzGerald.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}} Haughey was elected Taoiseach on the casting vote of the [[Ceann Comhairle]].