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Today’s Elections: Good News For Democracy, Whatever The Outcome
Read more about: Coalition, Democracy, Election Results, Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Government, Irish Election, Irish Politics, Parties
Whatever the outcome of today’s general election, it’ll be good for democracy because for once we’ll have had a proper contest in which pundits and public alike really have no idea who will form the next government.
For a long time, the question wasn’t ‘if’ Fianna Fáil got into government, but rather how large their majority would be. Even when they entered the era of coalition, it was merely a question of who would be Fianna Fáil’s partner after each election. Save for a period of Fine Gael strength in the 1980s, Fianna Fáil government of some form was all but guaranteed.
Such absence of true competition is bad for democracy. I don’t mean that from an anti-FF perspective- any party remaining too strong for too long would be bad news, whether it is FF, FG or whoever- but I’m sure that even the most ardent Fianna Fáilers would agree that things are a lot more exciting when there’s a bit of a challenge.
I was speaking to Enda Kenny a while back and he was confident that at this election there would be a complete change in the status quo. Now whether that comes to pass or not, I think anything which upsets the apple cart and forces all parties to fight for each and every vote is a positive thing.
As an independent bystander, for me the outcome of the election isn’t the important thing- it’s the fact that we don’t know what the outcome will be that has made the difference this time.
You have to wonder with all the talk of possible coalitions why is the idea of an FF and FG coalition so taboo? After all, they are probably closer to each other on policies than the other parties.
This residual insistence on Civil War politics is becoming increasingly meaningless.
IF FG lose this election, the party should probably considering splitting up. The energy and political savvy of the members could be better deployed in two or three smaller, more focussed parties, or by bolstering up some of the already existing smaller parties. The PDs have had a remarkable influence on Irish politics, completely boxing above their weight, since they split from FF in 1985, so there is not only precedent but incentive.
It will offer more possibilities and choice for coalition government in the future.
If they lose, even ardent FGers must harbour suspicions that the party is becoming an irrelevance.
FG can never rival FF in the “whatever having yourself ya boy ya” market.