Ireland has proved a partial exception to the anti-incumbent mood in elections around the world. Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, which have dominated Irish politics for a century, remain in the driving seat, though their combined share of the vote has declined to just over 40%.

Can a boring election also be surprising? In a year of anti-incumbent anger, Ireland votes for more of the same

LONDON — Ireland faces weeks of coalition talks before it gets a new government, as the country’s two major center-right parties work to form a stable administration.

Ireland prepared on Sunday to reshuffle the same big parties into a new government after a general election returned incumbents that have channelled record corporation tax receipts into higher spending.

The final 12 seats in the Irish general election are expected to be filled later on Monday. Only a small number of seats separate the three major parties with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael best placed to form a coalition government.

At one level, the vote was an endorsement of continuity, but the stability in Ireland’s political center ground masked volatility on the fringes.