An Occasional Guide to Irish Politics: The difference between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.

Repost: This post I wrote 18 months ago has suddenly started gaining hits. Recent poll, maybe? Thought I’d post it again. And yes, I know it upsets some in FF. Your objections are noted. As ever, the offer to write a reply stands. And no, you can’t reply anonymously so stop asking! I’ll happily post your criticisms but you have to make them in public.

There is probably no activity as entertaining in Irish politics as watching a member of Fianna Fail and one of Fine Gael debating the differences between their parties in front of a non-partisan audience. Curiously, it is a rare enough event.

Stage 1. Both sides nod solemnly in agreement that there is a huge difference between their parties.

Stage 2. When asked about what values separate the parties, the Fianna Failer is first in with “republicanism”. A request for definition is met with a vague candyfloss enunciation, normally with the phrase “social justice” thrown into the mix. The Fine Gaeler claims the declaration as an accurate description of FG values. FF immediately launches an attack along the lines of “well then why did you cut X?” followed by FG saying “sure, what about when you cut Y in government?”

Both sides are broken up and returned to corners.

Stage 3. A second attempt is made at values. A commitment to a United Ireland is mentioned by FF as being “deeper” in FF. FG lists out everything from the declaration of the Republic to the Anglo Irish Agreement. Another fracas ensues with pointed references to personalities in other parties.

Stage 4. A foriegn member of the audience asks for a comparison to conventional parties in continental Europe and elsewhere. Both sides unite to point out that Irish politics has no comparison to any other political system in Human history. “That’s for fucking sure” a voice from the audience remarks loudly.

Stage 5. Economic values are questioned. Both parties immediately descend into a nit-picking “you did this in government” row. FF claims to be a party of the working class and small farmer. FG claims it has support amongst both classes. Both parties dispute being pro-business compared to other parties. An audience member points out that both parties received most of their funding from business. The audience member is personally attacked for having “an agenda”. The actual question about who funds the two parties is deliberately ignored.

Stage 6. Both parties are asked to cease referencing past events and address the future, with a simple declaration of the values that will shape the parties in the future. Both make statements about the future which mention dignity, employment, social justice and prosperity. They are pretty much the same statement. When challenged on this, each points out that the character of the other party means that the other party does not mean what he says. Both then launch into a point-by-point historic nit-picking contest.

Stage 7. Both particpiants take to Twitter and Facebook to attack the event as biased against one party and obviously run for the benefit of the other, accusing the moderator of “bashing” their party. Both are quick to stress that no one cares about this stuff except people “obsessed” with historical events and this has nothing to do with “real” politics.

3 thoughts on “An Occasional Guide to Irish Politics: The difference between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.

  1. Pingback: The Breaking of Day « Speak, Memorise

  2. What really distnguishes FF & FG?
    1. FF’s chip on shoulder, with periodic compensati ng Napoleonic swagger.
    2. FF’s irrepressible visceral dislike of the English (who they always call Brits).
    3. FF’s barely concealed philiosophy that to be a trew Irishman, you must be:
    (a) from outside Dublin (except parts of Northside)
    (b) GAA, not Rugby. Soccer every 4 years esp when our Brits beat the Brits’ Brits.
    (c) Catholic. Some goofy country Prods tolerated, but not the urban types from Craigavon.
    (d) pure Irish. White. FitzAnything suspect and probably West Brit.
    (e) revering of great dead Irishmen who did The Right Thing. Not dem traitors who fought against Nazism.
    (f) functionally innumerate.
    (g) professed lovers of the Irish language although usually illiterate in that, and often in others.

  3. Was once suggested as the difference between sh*t and sh*te or along the same lines, as Lemass put it..

    “The difference is that we’re in and they’re out.”

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