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Political parties in the Republic of Ireland

Encyclopedia : P : PO : POL : Political parties in the Republic of Ireland

 

There are a number of political parties in the Republic of Ireland, and coalition governments are common. The state is unusual as a developed nation in that politics is not primarily characterised by the left-right political divide. This is because the two largest political parties Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael do not identify themselves first and foremost as either centre-right or centre-left parties. Rather, both parties arose from the great split that occurred in Irish politics at the time of the 1922-1923 Civil War, that followed the foundation of the state. Both descended from factions of the original Sinn Féin party: Fine Gael from the faction that supported the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty and Fianna Fáil from the anti-Treaty faction. This enduring characteristic of the Irish party system is sometimes pejoratively referred to as "Civil War politics".

Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party is the Republic's largest and most successful political organisation. It was founded in 1926 as a radical anti-Treaty party, drawing support from small farmers and urban workers but has since become a party of the establishment. It was first elected to power in 1932 on a constitutional republican platform, promising to destroy constitutional links with Britain and reduce poverty by creating employment. It oversaw much of the industrial development of the Republic and has consequently drawn nationalist support from all social classes, making it a classic populist party. Generally FF has adopted left-leaning positions on economic matters (especially tending towards fiscal expansion) while remaining conservative on social matters (exceptions to both of these points abound). The economically liberal Progressive Democrats, with whom Fianna Fáil have entered three coalitions, have had an impact on the economic policy of Fianna Fáil governments, drawing it towards the centre-right in recent years.

Fine Gael, formerly known as Fine Gael - The United Ireland Party, was formed by a grand merger of the pro-Treaty Cumman na nGaedheal party, the National Guard (a quasi-fascist group popularly called 'The Blueshirts') and the small National Centre Party in 1933. While historically Fine Gael has often been viewed as a centre-right party, supported by large farmers and businessmen, this characterisation is perhaps overly simplistic. For a period in the 1960s, for example, with the publication of the famous Just Society document, Fine Gael was identified with the values of social democracy. Furthermore, during the 1980s, Fine Gael leader Garret Fitzgerald advocated the liberal agenda. It is a member of the conservative Christian Democratic European People's Party. Historically FG has tended to support fiscal restraint and law and order domestically while adopting a less stridently nationalist position on Northern Ireland than Fianna Fail. Currently many party members favour membership of NATO. Fine Gael have been in government six times, in each case in coalition with the Labour Party, and in three of those cases with other parties as well.

The centre-left in the Republic's politics is represented by the Labour Party which is the state's third largest political party and has participated in coalition governments with each of the two largest parties over the years. Hoping to create a stronger left-wing force, the Labour Party merged with the smaller Democratic Left group in the 1990s but this has not had as much impact as was hoped. The party's current leader, Pat Rabbite, has expressed a strong preference for coalition with Fine Gael over Fianna Fáil to which he is particularly hostile.

The Progressive Democrats, a liberal party, were founded in 1985 when Desmond O'Malley and others in Fianna Fáil left, specifically because of opposition in the party to contraception and the Anglo-Irish Agreement, and they were joined by members of Fine Gael and others. They sought to "break the mould" of Irish politics, with a liberal approach to economic and social policy and a moderate approach to Northern Ireland. They have remained relatively small, but have been been in three governments: 1989-1992, 1997-2002 and since 2002, in all cases in coalition with Fianna Fáil.

Smaller parties of the left are the modern incarnation of Sinn Féin, the Green Party, the Socialist Party and the tiny Communist Party of Ireland which does not have parliamentary representation.

As well as a number of parties Dáil Éireann (the lower house of parliament) is also often host to independent TDs (deputies) who play an important role in Irish politics and are sometimes called upon to prop up minority governments, or governments with slim majorities. They usually elected on left-wing platforms or on local issues alone.

Contents

Parties represented in Dáil Éireann

Parties without Dáil representation

Defunct political parties

See also

External links

 

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