EUPopLink Country report - Ireland.

Abstract

Drawing upon party manifestos during the most recent general elections in Ireland (2024), this country report finds limited signs of either populism or Euroscepticism in the country if we measure both phenomena in terms of electoral success. Whereas certain parties adopt a populist rhetoric, this often focalises on topical policy issues such as the housing crisis or increased migration flows, not achieving broad resonance with the public. Similarly, Eurosceptic voices fall on deaf ears due to the predominance of centrist Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in the Irish political system, both of which are supportive of European integration. The expression of either populist or Eurosceptic discourse remains in the margins of Irish political life, seen as extreme positions whose electoral impact is mitigated by the country's PR-STV voting system. The study provides no evidence that a populist discourse that deems EU institutions and policies as the enemy of the people is successful in socially constructing the notion of the people in Ireland.