A new populist party is gaining popularity in the Republic of Ireland amid a backlash over the country’s asylum crisis and the impact of its environmental policies.
Independent Ireland is a new political party founded in November last year by local councilors Richard O’Donoghue and Michael Collins. The party is dedicated to reducing the influence of left-wing NGOs and cracking down on rampant asylum fraud across Ireland. This comes as immigration becomes a hot topic ahead of European and local elections in June.
The party received a boost on Monday morning when it was announced that Michael Fitzmaurice, another popular TD among Irish farmers, would be joining the party. The news comes as the country’s main opposition party, Sinn Féin, has experienced a steep decline in the polls, with many blaming it on its pro-immigration stance. Meanwhile, a third of Irish people have expressed the hope that they are likely to vote for a right-wing populist party.
Although the republic has never had an official right-wing populist bloc with parliamentary representation, there is a significant number of independent TDs. Many are leaning more to the right, reflecting a broader trend in which anti-immigrant sentiment has gained momentum in recent months.
In a statement, Mr Fitzmaurice declared his new party a “common sense” choice for voters. He added that the party would be “a party fit for government”, contradicting those who see independent politicians as irrelevant contrarians.
“We have a job ahead of us over the coming months and years, building a party not just for the next election but for future generations,” O’Donoghue declared.
An independent Ireland has already committed to contesting the next election in Ireland. The party’s leader, Michael Collins, previously spoke at an event organized by the conservative parliamentary group European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR). The new party is expected to receive formal membership status soon.
Ireland is playing catch-up when it comes to populism. The country witnessed the first instance of farmer protests spreading across Europe, with farmers’ groups expressing dissatisfaction over new nitrate regulations and a potential EU-Latin America free trade agreement.
Last week saw the country’s largest anti-immigration demonstration, with thousands of people marching in central Dublin. Many liberal commentators are panicking over the heightened nationalist sentiment in the aftermath of November’s Dublin riots, which followed a stabbing by an Algerian immigrant.