In the not-to0-distant past in Ireland there was the general belief that our politics went back to the civil war and how Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael came into existence. Both parties stood for more less the same world view. Labour had some left wing policies but there was no great left wing divide.
Across Europe the major political parties were clearly distinguishable. On the one side the socialist, communist parties and on the other side the conservative and liberal groupings.
In Ireland we felt we were missing out on a clearer political division.
Interesting what’s happening across Europe now. In Austria yesterday those divides fell apart and the populist far-right has surged becoming the biggest political grouping.
It’s similar in the former East Germany, the far-right AfD is surging. Left and right are being thrown aside in favour of populist nationalist parties. People are voting for extremes.
And the irony of that is that’s what has happened in Northern Ireland after the Good Friday Agreement. Sinn Féin took most of the SDLP vote and the DUP moved in on the UUP. Voters moving to the populist nationalist parties.
What’s happening is extremely dangerous. The leader of the now largest political party in Austrian speaks words that are a reminder of another Austrian, who always blamed the scapegoat for all the woes of Reich.
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