Can we have a thread to discuss the upcoming MEP Election candidates for Ireland?

[HornyHornersPinkyWinky]

European elections coming up on 7th June. Ireland has 14 seats to fill...

I know it's probably early days, but I got a shiny leaflet in the door from Barry Andrews talking about how great he is - sorry Barry but you're not getting my vote.

It got me thinking though, I have no idea who to vote for. Here's a website which lists all the candidates, if you scroll down you will see the constituencies and if you click on their faces it gives you more information about their policies etc.
https://www.europeanmovement.ie/european-elections-2024/#1708343079798-db46201b-445f

Is there anyone dead set on who they are voting for and willing to share? I'm in Dublin BTW. Actually, if I could I'd vote for Peadar Tobín, but he's in the Midlands constituency...

I was coming on to say exactly that re independents. In constituency alone 7 seats and 3 went to independents.

People are fed up of the political parties a lot have expressed it through voting independents

I'm not overly surprised SF fell apart. Mary Lou is a liability and she most definitely is not leading a plausible opposition.

Interested to know why you say Mary Lou is a liability @DublinFemale

In any oireachtas I watch she is not challenging the government she is sniping and LV was great at throwing insults when she did hit with a question

There was also the incident when the house had to cleared due to her refusal to leave.

She is very popular in her constituency and normally gets in on first count and brings someone with her.

In saying all that MM has potentially done damage to FF as he has proven he will get into bed with whoever for power.

Many moons ago Eamonn McCann said we could never have normal politics until the Civil War parties merged. Since they are both representing the interests of the wealthy but giving the Illusion of Choice to the hapless voter.

This frankly scared the shit out of me , though I couldn't fault the logic. I thought they'd walk all over us if they didn't need a coalition partner. Now Eamons wish has been granted. The public knows this farce is over , hence FF giving transfers to FG and vice versa.

The question is : will the new reality concentrate minds at the General Election? As in you can have the Borg or Sinn Féin. Harris and Co are hoping to repeat this performance of course. They think the various independents will do their work for them again. They might be right. In which case ' resistance is futile'.

With the locals many voters will vote based solely on the person and not the party. Another factor that comes into it what town/village/area the candidate is from. There is no point in me voting for a candidate from other side of the constituency because they tend to focus their efforts on their home base.

I have never ever voted FF in general or European elections but did in local because local councillor doesn’t forget our village when his predecessors ignored us because they didn’t need our votes.

I voted independent in the European elections most candidates on the ballot paper weren’t worth a transfer I don’t believe in voting hard left or hard right.

Come general election time I am hoping there will be a decent independent running to vote for. SF aren’t the alternative that many voters are looking for.

While there was a huge amount of choice I was uninspired by majority of candidates which ran.

One (one) candidate knocked on my door for the entire time. Majority of candidates or helpers seemed to deliver leaflets in middle of the night.

Every morning when I got up there was leaflets and I'm up at 6.30am.

I voted mainly independent in EU and local and I am expecting to do same in GE.

No one who currently represents my district is inspiring or worth a transfer

Barry Andrews of Fianna Fáil will return to the European Parliament along with Fine Gael's Regina Doherty, Sinn Féin's Lynn Boylan and Labour's Aodhán Ó Ríordáin following the elimination of Niall Boylan.

Dublin seats have been filled more of the same

What I am taking from this is Irish people seem to happy to bitch and moan but absolutely zero interest in trying to change anything

FF and FG were the only candidates who called to my door.

This. 💯

And this.

After saying all of my previous rants

There does seem to be some green shoots Independent Ireland only established itself in November 2023 and 40% of their candidates got seats, granted small numbers but percentage wise high.

Niall Boylan (first timer) eliminated in final count as MEP.

Trying to see positives that hopefully can be built on.

I had no one for Europe call to my door, had an independent and one FG and FF call to my door for the locals. All the rest just posted leaflets through the door without engaging.

Can't believe Mick Wallace is still in the running for the 5th seat in the South

I see Barry Andrews is whining about STV making our count longer than other nations. He wants to bring in a list system. Sounds opaque and corrupt to me.

But then his party held 2 Referendums to try and scrap PR didn't they? Back then FPTP would have Fianna Fáil power in perpetuity. But the voters were too cute to fall for it. Not that it matters now they are merged with Fine Gael. One party state ahoy.

I am so relieved that Mick Wallace didn't make it, but rather appalled that he was in the race for so long. Every extra voice for Putin in the European parliament is a danger for all of us.

Cynthia ni nhurchu is pro hate speech.
Nina carberry..omg who voted for that robot couldnt string two sentences together. Will be a yes woman to ursula VDL...im actually despairing.
Gave c mulooly a way down vote as he didnt think ireland was full. He is a centrist but in fairness very likeable. Im disgusted at the back to main parties. I feel The govt will think the people are behind them after their kicking in the last referendum and be if its even possible more of europes lap dog .

I mean i cant forgive them for masking my 9 yr old after vaccines were rolled out. The most draconian treatment of people during covid in all of Europe. I mean it beggars belief.
The children's Hosp.
The health service.
The utter wastage of money. The bias of RTE to the main govt candidates.
Im in despair . We are a family that always voted main parties but in this election they did not deserve my vote

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

Therefore the Irish electorate shouldn't whinge about the state of things in Ireland.

They made their choices - Same again please, more or less.

This 💯

Do you mean CnM likes doing 'hate speech' or that she favours the (dead in the water I suspect) dodgy legislation around 'hate speech'?

And by what measure can a country with a population still lower than it had in 1841 possibly be regarded as 'full'? Suffering from bad spatial planning, sure, we need to move a lot of things west, but 'full'?

Remember how the referendum results In March were hailed as proof that the intelligent Irish electorate are canny, discerning and tactical in how they vote, and reject the idea of simply 'doing as they're told' by the government parties?

Now the local and MEP election results are proof of the exact opposite, according to some commentators. Same electorate - unless 'they' really really speeded up the Great Replacement and achieved it between March and June!

The seats for FF and FG are down

FF lost 31
FG lost 10
GP lost 26

It's not all bad news the government did lose 67 seats. Not a kicking but looking for green shoots.

SF is actually up by 21 seats.

That is with a 49% turnout.

I need to feel there is some sort of movement building, too depressing otherwise

I have very much enjoyed the demonstration that the Irish electorate are sophisticated political thinkers and make their voting decisions for referendums, local councils, the EU and a Mayor / CEO based on what they think relevant and effective in that case, not on some kind of automatic response to a party flag.

I do wish the turnout was a lot higher - that need work.