List of political parties in the Republic of Ireland
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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".
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Parties represented in the Oireachtas
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil (FF) is the largest party in the Oireachtas (parliament) but was recently beaten into second as regards to total local council seats by its main rival Fine Gael. It was the first time in its history that it did not come first in a national election. It is republican in outlook. It was founded in 1926 by Éamon de Valera 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 support from all social classes, making it a classic populist party. Generally Fianna Fáil has adopted right wing positions on economic matters, while remaining populist on social issues.
The economically liberal Progressive Democrats (PD) (now defunct) with whom Fianna Fáil entered three coalitions, had an impact on the economic policy of Fianna Fáil governments, drawing it more towards the centre-right in recent years. The resulting combination of PD-inspired tax cuts and FF-driven spending increases has only been made possible by unusually high economic growth.
Bertie Ahern was the Taoiseach (prime minister) from 1997 to 2008. His long-standing popularity is often attributed to his 'man of the people' persona and his considerable negotiating skill, having negotiated numerous social partnership contracts, the Belfast Agreement in Northern Ireland, and an agreement among EU heads of government on the European Constitution. He was succeeded by Brian Cowen.
In September 2007, Fianna Fáil announced that they would organise politically in the north. It is thought this may lead to a merger with the north's Social Democratic and Labour Party, although it has been signalled by both parties that this may now be dead in the water or at least postponed until the economic climate becomes less precarious.
As of June 2009, Fianna Fáil is represented by 75 TDs, 27 Senators, 3 MEPs, and 218 councillors nationally.
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is the second largest party in the Oireachtas, it is the largest party in local government in Ireland and has more MEPs than any other Irish party. It was founded in 1933 by a merger of the pro-Treaty Cumann na nGaedhael, the Army Comrades Association (popularly called the 'Blueshirts') and the small National Centre Party. While historically Fine Gael has often been viewed as a centre-right party, supported by large farmers and businessmen, this characterisation is perhaps simplistic. For a period in the 1960s, for example, with the publication of the famous Just Society document, Fine Gael identified with the values of social democracy. Furthermore, during the 1980s, Fine Gael leader Garret Fitzgerald advocated the liberal agenda. It is now a member of the conservative, Christian Democratic, European People's Party. Historically Fine Gael has tended to support fiscal restraint and law and order domestically while adopting a less stridently nationalist position on Northern Ireland than Fianna Fáil. 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.
As of June 2009, Fine Gael is represented by 52 TDs, 15 Senators, 4 MEPs and 468 councillors nationally.
Labour Party
The centre-left and social democratic side of the Republic's politics is largely 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, primarily under Fine Gael's leadership. It was in coalition with Fianna Fáil from 1992 to 1994. Founded in 1912 by James Connolly as a trade union movement, until 1927 the party was the main opposition party in the Dáil.
Hoping to create a stronger left-wing force, the Labour Party merged with the smaller Democratic Left party in 1999 but this has not had as much impact as was hoped. The party's previous leader, Pat Rabbitte (a former Democratic Left member), had expressed a strong preference for coalition with Fine Gael over Fianna Fáil.
The situation has changed owing to the relatively inconclusive result of the 2007 general election. The current leader, Eamon Gilmore (also a former Democratic Left member) has expressed his desire to build the Labour Party nationally to become the size of a main opposition party in locally and in Seanad and Dáil seats rather than "the half size party electorally compared to the other 2 main parties Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael". He has expressed a desire for an independent election platform rather than preference for coalition with Fine Gael which was the case under the previous leader Pat Rabbitte.
As of June 2009, the Labour Party is represented by 20 TDs, 5 Senators, 3 MEPs, and 188 councillors nationally. It is the largest party on both Dublin and Galway city councils.
Green Party
The Green Party was established in 1981 and is allied to the European Green Party. It won its first seat in the Dáil in 1989, and won 6 seats and just under 4% of the national vote in the 2002 elections. The party advocates ecologically sound and socially liberal policies. In 1994 and again in 1999, two of Ireland's 15 MEPs were from the Green party, but both seats were lost in 2004. The Green Party lost 15 of its 18 local government seats in the 2009 local elections. The Green Party is strongest in Dublin, where five of its current six TDs are based, and has the third highest number of seats of all parties in Dublin. Ireland's system of proportional representation, the Single Transferable Vote, works well for the Green Party, as they have proven to be very attractive for transfers from all other parties.
The Green Party of Northern Ireland voted in 2005 to become a region of the Irish Green Party making it the second party to be organised on an all-Ireland basis. It has Northern Ireland members on the Irish Green Party national executive.
As of June 2009, the Green Party is represented by six TDs and two Senators, 32 councillors and also one Northern Ireland Assembly member elected in the 2007 elections. In June 2007, the Green Party entered into coalition government with Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats in the Republic of Ireland.
Sinn Féin
The name Sinn Féin has been applied to a series of political movements since 1905 in Ireland, each of which claim or claimed sole descent from the original party established by Arthur Griffith in 1905. The largest of the modern-day Sinn Féin parties was closely linked to the Provisional Irish Republican Army and was the only political party to have seats in the parliaments of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland until the Green Party organised on an island-wide basis. Since supporting the Peace Process Sinn Féin has seen a dramatic increase in support in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland. It has emerged as the second largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly with 28 seats out of 108 and the fifth largest in the Republic of Ireland with 4 seats in the Dáil in the 2007 general election). Sinn Féin also holds two seats in the European Parliament with one for the Republic (Dublin) and one for Northern Ireland. Sinn Féin's platform is primarily focused on achieving the reunification of Ireland and a large scale expansion of Ireland's social services (such as adopting a universal health care system and creating subsidised housing). Their political ideology mainly revolves around democratic socialism, Irish Republicanism, and Irish Nationalism.
In Northern Ireland's devolved government (which is overseen, from a distance, jointly by the British Government and the government of the Republic of Ireland), Sinn Féin's Martin McGuiness is Deputy First Minister, a position of equal standing and powers to that of First Minister, held by Peter Robinson. Sinn Féin's two Members of the European Parliament belong to the European United Left–Nordic Green Left alliance which is a grouping of democratic socialist, communist and environmentalist parties within the European Parliament.
As of June 2009, Sinn Féin is represented by 28 MLAs, 4 TDs, 1 Senator, 1 MEP and 242 councillors (125 in the Republic of Ireland and 118 in Northern Ireland).
Independents
As well as a number of parties, Dáil Éireann (the lower house of parliament) also often has independent TDs (deputies) as members, who play an important role in Irish politics and are sometimes called upon to support minority governments or governments with slim majorities. They are usually elected on left-wing platforms or on local issues alone.
As of June 2009, independents comprise 7 TDs, 8 senators, 1 MEP and over 200 councillors nationally.
Party details
- A More literally – Soldiers of Fál.
- B For the first twenty years of its existence, the Green Party did not have a national leader. Trevor Sargent was elected as the first national leader in 2001.
- C It was founded 1970 as Provisional Sinn Féin after a split within the party then known as Sinn Féin.
Parties without Oireachtas representation
Socialist Party
The Socialist Party was formed in 1996 by far left former members of the Labour Party. It is a Marxist political party in the Trotskyist tradition and is organised in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Socialist Party was previously named the Militant Tendency of the Labour Party but was expelled in the late 1980s. Joe Higgins was its sole member of Dáil Éireann representing Dublin West between 1997 and 2007. Higgins won over 5% of the vote in Dublin in the 2004 European election and was a prominent opposition spokesman in the Dáil. It is affiliated to the Committee for a Workers' International (CWI).
As of June 2009, the Socialist Party is represented by 6 councillors and 1 MEP.
Workers' Party
The Workers' Party is a democratic socialist party allied with the international workers and communist parties. It emerged from the Irish republican movement and from the original Sinn Féin but the name was changed to the Workers' Party in 1982. It is organised in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It currently has 2 councillors, Ted Tynan on Cork City Council and Davy Walsh on Waterford City Council.
Communist Party of Ireland
The Communist Party of Ireland was first founded in 1921, and re-founded in 1933, the current communist party originates from 1970, when the Communist Party of Northern Ireland joined with the Irish Workers Party (not related to the current Workers Party). While a registered political party, it has not stood candidates in recent elections, and remains quite small. It was historically quite influential in the trade union movement.
Other parties
Registered
- Christian Solidarity Party
- Libertas Ireland
- People Before Profit Alliance
- Seniors Solidarity Party
- Socialist Workers Party
- Workers and Unemployed Action Group
Non-registered
- Amhrán Nua
- éirígí
- Fathers Rights-Responsibility Party
- Irish Republican Socialist Party
- Pirate Party Ireland
- Republican Sinn Féin
Party representation
Political parties with elected representation at a local, national or international level
- C Sinn Féin also has 5 members of the UK House of Commons, 118 local councillors in Northern Ireland and 1 MEP representing Northern Ireland.
See also
- Politics of the Republic of Ireland
- List of political parties by country to browse parties by country
- List of political parties by ideology to browse parties by ideology
- Membership of internationals to browse parties by membership of internationals
References
- ^ [1] FF local elections results 2009. Retrieved on 30 June 2009
External links
- Official Register of Political Parties in Ireland
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