Mayo analysis: The race for Euro seats is wide open with few certainties
by Caoimhín Rowland
The political landscape in Ireland is undergoing significant shifts, especially with the looming European Parliament elections scheduled for June 7.
A phrase often cited, ‘My enemy's enemy is my friend’, has never rung truer for politicians eyeing roles in Brussels.
Sinn Féin, traditionally an anti-EU party, is currently witnessing a noteworthy surge in support, particularly among the youth and middle-class voters.
The party's historic stance against the European Union has taken a complete 180-degree turn. The demographics Mary Lou has worked so hard to court typically view the trading bloc most favourably.
Former Sligo county councillor Chris MacManus is the only Sinn Féin MEP in Brussels representing the Midlands North West constituency. News broke this week of Michelle Gildernew from Tyrone joining him on the ticket.
An eyebrow raising move to go outside the constituency for a second candidate, signalling how I’ve discussed in the past human capital is desperately lacking for Sinn Féin and not just in Mayo.
The Sinn Féin of today feel it is more fruitful to work together as European citizens than to agitate or pander to euroscepticism.
Theirs is of the left variety, the apathetic socialist stance Jeremy Corbyn took in the run up to the UK Brexit vote, one that had disastrous domestic political ramifications.
The Labour party subsequently lost the red wall in the north of the country, essentially their party’s base, and descended into obscurity, watching Boris Johnson rubberstamp a majority on a platform of ‘Getting Brexit done’.
Sinn Féin bore witness to the inner turmoil that Brexit vote created. The DUP are at long-lasting loggerheads while Sinn Féin look like the adults in the room for the first time in their history.
Essentially, Europe has been good to Sinn Féin and their U-turn should not come as a surprise.
European Parliament election polling released last week show that Sinn Féin are on course to win three seats in Ireland come the first week of June. Welcome news for a party that has seen its popularity sway nationally.
It will be unlikely for Gildernew to join MacManus but an extra seat in the enlarged constituency could see it happen.
Luke 'Ming' Flanagan has been on a crusade advocating for justice for homeowners dealing with defective blocks. Recent storms and freezing weather have accentuated the plight of thousands in Mayo whose homes are deteriorating.
Activists and Ming sought assistance from the European Union's petition committee, leading to a damning report.
Spanish MEP Dolores Montserrat visited impacted homeowners in Donegal, hearing their concerns and assessing the cratering homes.
She heard how defective block homeowners felt their concerns were not being heard in Ireland. The redress committee took their angst to Brussels and the draft outcome of the report goes as far to call on the Irish government to establish a national inquiry into the matter.
If there is a positive to be found in this scandal, it is another political paradigm shift, this time from Ming himself.
The once committed Eurosceptic stated that the process of the mica/pyrite redress scheme and the petitions committee that visited people on the ground has resulted in him softening his anti-EU stance instead. He said he is now increasingly ‘sceptical’ about his own country.
The Irish government will presumably take no heed to the European report, the debacle is dealt with as far as the Minister for Housing is concerned, but it is crucial it gets a full hearing amongst the Irish electorate in the run up to the polls as a way in which Europe, often seen as unelected, out-of-touch and ostensibly foreign to Irish people, is one of our greatest strengths as democratic citizens.
It may have taken the guts of a decade for politicians to change their tune or it may point toward old-school electioneering.
Either way, euroscepticism in Ireland looks set to be the baton of the far-right nationalist parties and the far-left embarrassing duo in the east of the country.
Fine Gael are predicted to lose three seats in June. Two stalwarts have already bowed out. Frances Fitzgerald is set to retire, as is Deirdre Clune, and Mairead McGuinness’s ascension to commissionership has left a vacancy in her wake.
It's all to play for.
As far as Mayo is concerned, it looks now like Senator Lisa Chambers' hopes of running have ended after finishing third behind Deputy Barry Cowen and Senator Niall Blaney in her party's selection convention.
But you can never been sure until the party's national constituencies committee announce the completion of the ticket for the Midland North West region.
Interestingly, RTE News is reporting today that Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh has highlighted that Fianna Fáil has so far selected three male politicians, all aged 56, to run in the upcoming European elections.
Ms Walsh also criticised the make up of the European Parliament.
"I think male, pale and stale is a very common theme out here," said the Midlands North West MEP, speaking in Strasbourg.
Ms Walsh was asked about Fianna Fáil's selection thus far of three men - all aged 56 - who are running as the party's candidates in June’s European Parliament elections.
Barry Cowen (56) is the latest Fianna Fáil candidate to be selected. Billy Kelleher and Barry Andrews, who are also 56, were previously selected to represent Ireland South and Dublin, respectively.
Maria Walsh said: "We are not a representation if we continue to send certain age, certain skin colours, certain gendered people back here [to Strasbourg]. And the fact that a Government party as has only selected ... three men, well that's on them."
She pointed out that Fine Gael returned four women in 2019.
Ms. Walsh may be handing a lifeline to Lisa Chambers!