There was no political earthquake in General Election 2024, no recasting of the Irish political system. A sizable number of people looked at the status quo, and, despite its many deficiencies, decided it was, in the round, their preferred option.
What happens if the electoral parity of esteem between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael is not there after this election?
Fianna Fáil’s electoral promises rely on €3bn in efficiencies and €2.2bn in “second-round buoyancy effects”. Do the numbers stack up?
In a way, the smaller parties and the independents reflect the patchwork landscape that is today’s Ireland. This is the cohort worth watching in the context of the local, European and general elections.
Local areas in the UK that experienced sharper rates of demographic change were more likely to vote to leave the EU at the 2016 referendum. That exact dynamic is playing out in Ireland today.
The story of Charles J Haughey is not just the story of one hugely complicated figure but the story of how Ireland still struggles to deal rationally with the past.
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