Shifting Landscapes & Language: Democratic volatility and the evolving political discourse in Ireland

Ireland has not yet had an electorally successful far right movement, but elements within the mainstream have begun to utilise far right rhetoric. There are cohorts among the population who are increasingly alienated and frustrated with Ireland’s political and economic system. They are vulnerable to radicalisation. Political practitioners are concerned about these challenges but continue to make strategic errors in addressing them.

In November 2024, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and TASC ran a seminar as part of broader efforts to better understand Ireland’s recent increase in far-right activism. The presentations examined whether increased nativist street agitation is seeping into the conduct of representative democracy, as well as the dynamics of persuasion and political alignment among right-leaning young men. These enquiries were predicated on the thesis that electoral contests only provide part of the picture of the political landscape, and there is also the potential for far-right rhetoric and positioning to influence established parties.

Comparative examples from elsewhere in Europe show the opportunities available to fringe organisations to influence mainstream politics in the absence of direct electoral success. This report charts this process through tools of discourse analysis, ethnographic research and senior stakeholder interviews. What emerges is a picture of a shifting political landscape, in which mainstream actors have shown diverse responses to far-right rhetoric. While some have resolutely opposed reactionary language, others have appeased and even appropriated its messages.

Read the full report here.