Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh pictured during her election speech at the count centre in Castlebar following her 2019 European Parliament election success. PHOTO: ALISON LAREDO
By Caoimhín Rowland
Next year’s 2024 election is perhaps the most important one for the EU since the formation of the bloc.
It will be an election of firsts no matter what.
Never before under the parliament’s portfolio have we seen war on Europe’s front door.
Furthermore, Britain has since totally left the Union and the Paris climate accord, which all member states signed up to, may well be in ruins as global temperatures look set to rise beyond the 1.5 degree mark sooner than feared.
Irish people are also struggling to adapt to being a big dog in Europe, not by political representation (which has reduced over the years, although this constituency is expected to get an extra seat in 2024) but in terms of financially giving more into the European coffers than we receive.
With that new role comes certain obligations and the hot potato of immigration and commitments to international treaties which see us become an attractive end destination for those fleeing war, persecution and famine (numbers of which will also increase with predicted climate catastrophes).
But also those from within Europe who seek a higher quality of life in an English-speaking country, and particularly so since Boris put an end to freedom of movement, we need the workers but don’t have the homes to house them in.
Firstly, let us get our bearings as to who will be the potential runners and riders in 2024.
From a local interest, Maria Walsh was far from a sure thing to win her seat last time out.
But witnessing Shrule’s former Rose in action last weekend during the fantastic Pride festival in Westport was mesmerising.
She led the parade as grand marshal but it was her ability to shake hands, schmooze and charm anyone who came within her orbit that was most impressive.
She made waves during her inaugural tenure by attacking EPP colleagues Fidesz, the Hungarian ruling party under the self-styled “illiberal democrat” Viktor Orban, for their anti-LGBT stance, and walked in Budapest’s Pride parade in 2021.
Two years on, she swapped the banks of the River Danube for Westport’s Harbour Quay.
Posts on social media on the day of the official opening last month of St. Mary’s Secondary School in Ballina revealed that every politician from Mayo, past and present, was in attendance, barring our barrister Lisa Chambers, who was attending a meeting with the Argentine ambassador up in Dublin, recognising the strong Mayo connections of course but a sign of her quest for pastures new?
The evergreen Luke Ming Flanagan is also expected to contest the 2024 election, still a true heavyweight in rural politics, despite rumblings a year or so ago that he may look for someone like-minded to co-opt his seat.
He occupies the Eurosceptic space for the left here in the constituency, not too far from Jeremy Corbyn’s leanings, which as we know saw the famous red wall in England buckle in favour of Brexit.
Ming rose to prominence by opposing the turf-cutting ban in Roscommon. He hasn’t exactly installed an air-to-water pump just yet but the SEAI grant writing is on the wall.
Bogs will be rewetted, forested, and home to wildlife by hook or by crook. Landowners will now be asking what will they get out of it.
Sinn Féin of course also have representation, Chris McManus, the Sligo engineer who rose up the ranks after Matt Carthy’s election victory in 2020.
A springboard for future general election candidates is how Sinn Féin view Europe, an ultimate afterthought with their views not too dissimilar to ‘Minginites’.
Over in the wee county, Mairead McGuinness has risen the continental ladder to commissionership, Colm Markey co-opted her seat.
Once the President of Macra na Feirme, the Drogheda-born former councillor may see a new social grouping, ‘Daughters of Data Centres’, enter the arena soon, well, it’s as likely as sons taking on the family farm at this stage.
Saoirse McHugh also ran last time out, cementing herself as a household name during an impressive showing in a Prime Time TV debate.
Her sparring partner was Peter Casey, who (shock horror!) has re-entered the public stage thanks to last weekend’s Sunday Independent, stating he “would’ve pardoned Enoch Burke.”
Casey’s failure to understand the powers of the presidency doesn’t shock anyone, nor does his versatility, punching down on a different minority group this time around.
Love or loathe him, the businessman polled strongly in 2019, with less than ten thousand first preferences votes away from Maria Walsh.
His views have only grown stronger of late and with an electorate’s failure to treat EU elections seriously.
Combined with an appetite for a protest vote, no one would be surprised to see someone of his ilk darken Strasbourg’s door.