Anyone visiting
the Irish capital this week will be immediately struck by the proliferation of
campaign posters touting candidates and parties taking part in both the local
and European elections on 5 June. In marked contrast to the UK, fixated upon
the expenses trauma and looking right ahead to the next general election, Irish
media and society are abuzz with election talk. The visibility and seriousness
of campaigning for local councils and especially the European parliament struck
me upon visiting Dublin this week. Rather than overlooking or even lambasting
the European parliament, the Irish public seem to have fully grasped the
importance of broad participation in the European elections. The economy’s
meteoric rise during the ‘Celtic Tiger’ years, and its subsequent nose-dive in
the global recession, has convinced Irish society of the huge impact European
issues can have on everyday life. Smaller countries
and economies like Ireland have the most to gain and lose from participation in
Europe, a factor that probably plays a large role in their comparatively strong
interest in the upcoming poll. Their pivotal role in deciding the Lisbon
Treaty’s fate can’t hurt, either.
The 5 June poll may also tell us more about the future
of governance in Ireland, in much the same way the 4 June UK polling is seen by
British pundits as a bellwether for the general election. Fianna Fáil, the
current ruling party, have seen their electoral popularity crashing in the wake
of the recession. An Irish colleague remarked that, while their posters boldly
proclaim their candidates’ names, the party name is reduced to small print: a
sure indicator of the public’s angry mood toward their current leaders. Rather than
primarily benefiting Fine Gael, the ‘traditional’ opposition, opinion polls
indicate that Labour (the country’s third largest party) and independent
candidates are surging ahead to fill the void created by Fianna Fáil’s fall
from grace. This is significant; instead of creating a space for xenophobia and
the right wing to rear its ugly head, the recession in Ireland appears to be
boosting the pro-European left in the electoral guise of the Labour Party. The
results of next week’s election will tell us much about the tide of politics in
Ireland, including this autumn’s expected Lisbon Treaty referendum. If opinion
polls and campaign posters are any reliable indication, it may mean big gains
for progressive actors and ideas. The Celtic tiger is stirring; this should be
an interesting election outcome to watch.
Nobody has knocked on my door, nobody has said vote for me, I've had one leaflet through the door saying vote Plaid for the EU nothing from the Lib Dem's nothing from labour and sod all from the Tories Ukip I did have one very funny one from the BNP. hell who cares about the EU elections it seems nobody.
Posted by: Robert | Saturday, May 30, 2009 at 10:02 AM