By Cormac Kelly
At the time of writing, results of the Irish General Election point to the re-election of a coalition government led by the two main establishment capitalist parties, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.
The main theme of these elections were a deep distrust of Ireland’s political elite. Despite government claims that the economy is doing well, millions of people face a crippling rise in the cost of living, through increased energy bills, food prices, and a huge housing crisis causing high levels of poverty and inequality.
This crisis is caused by profiteering landlords determined to keep rents up. The lack of new starts, speculation and land hoarding has resulted in higher prices and rent increases across the country. Much of the existing stock is shoddy, damp and unfit to live in, devastating the health of children especially.
From the creation of the state, two right-wing parties – Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil – have dominated the government. Despite some surface historical disagreements, both are dedicated to the defence of capitalism and the American corporations which now rule the Irish economy. Ireland is a tax haven, with its business elite arguing in an EU court this year that Apple should not pay taxes.
Positioning itself to the left of the two main parties in 2020, Sinn Féin won the popular vote and finished second in that year’s election. However its electoral support has fallen since, with internal scandals and an abandonment of radical change as the party doubles down to make itself a safer pair of hands for Irish capitalism, which is deeply integrated into its subordinate position in the EU/Western imperialist camp.
Irish society and politics has been deeply impacted by mass movements in the course of the last few years. It is through such struggles against femicide, the housing crisis, and for peace and Palestinian liberation that a force to challenge the parties of the capitalist establishment can be built.
