It’s an unprecedented success: Sinn Féin has just made an unexpected breakthrough in the legislative elections held this weekend in Ireland. This left-wing, deeply nationalist party in favor of Irish reunification recorded impressive figures, putting it on a par with the other 2 competing parties: Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.
Sinn Féin, once on the bangs of the other parties, if only because of its close links with the IRA, has now returned to center stage. Much to everyone’s surprise. Here are the precise details of the figures:
Nevertheless, this score should have little impact on the number of seats obtained. The reason: the party put forward only 42 candidates out of the 160 seats up for election. As a result, Sinn Féin has little chance of coming to power.
The group is a republican political party present in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. His hobbyhorse: the reunification of Ireland. Often accused of populism and unrealistic proposals by its competitors, the party seems to be making a real breakthrough with these votes. An achievement that worries the other parties and marks a clear shift in voter attitudes.
An indirect consequence of the Brexit, bringing back a sensitive debate: that of the possible reunification of Ireland. Because Northern Ireland, and its exit from the European Union, still seems to bother many Irish and Northern Irish people. Many people are talking about the possibility of a referendum… but London has not yet proposed one.
Whether it’s a proposal worthy of a science fiction novel or a real possibility, spirits seem to be heating up more and more, awakening the old ghosts of the past.
Be that as it may, the election results point to a real sea-change in attitudes in Ireland. The Irish political landscape could well be reshaped in the long term. For the time being, one thing is certain: neither Fine Gael nor Fianna Fail intend to join forces with Sinn Féin to consolidate their seats. The latter already prefer to warn the population of certain dangers linked to Sinn Féin’s populist discourse…
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