At the next general election Fianna Fáil is going to lose votes, possibly in big numbers. It’s an easy thing to see coming while Leo stunts continue to try claw back votes for Fine Gael. Fundamentally, the two parties appear to ongoingly be the same. Just as any single party has people in it with different ideas, so too is Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in coalition. They both want to head in the same general direction but each have a few notions in difference, regarding how to get there – but both still head in the same direction overall.
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Herein lies a big problem for Fianna Fáil. A lot of a growing unhappy public see little difference between the two parties. I cannot tell you how many times per week I hear “I wish they would just join together and get it over with!”
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I hear it very often. Others do too.
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The public now see little difference between Tweedle-dumb and Tweedle-dee (or Laurel and Hardy). If you were to ask either a member of the public, or even better, a local member of Fianna Fáil, how their party constitution ideology differs from Fine Gael’s, the reply is likely to be “Not a clue”. Believe me, I have repeatedly asked. Fianna Fáil in particular, face an identity problem and top rank know it. Care of a previous “Confidence and Supply” deal to prop Fine Gael in a prior government term or in a coalition deal in the current term, Fianna Fáil are again seen to be joined at the hip with their partner party.
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Yes, the twins have their internal differences but they are now seen as one big consistent ‘family’. It cannot be underscored how much of a problem this is for Fianna Fáil.
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Ireland still faces two more uneasy years with FF/FG as a government. How Fianna Fáil then election time separate and say they are vastly different from Fine Gael, is a serious big problem they face. The two parties have been joined at the hip so long, few citizens are going to swallow they are ideology different. Crazily, as the two are joined at the hip, you would think they both face the same public kicking that will be coming – but ironically, this is not the case. Consistent polls show that Fianna Fáil is in for a far bigger vote loss than its partner. The reasons for this would make up a whole separate post.
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Ultimately, Fianna Fáil have big question problems. Who are they? How do they core differ from their twin? While trapped in yet another pairing, how can they then say they are largely different?
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While attacking opposition at the 2024/2025 elections, their energy might be better spent trying to reestablish their own identity. They will only have weeks to ultimately to it on doorsteps to do it. They cannot better do it while still superglued to Fine Gael right now! For the moment they remain screwed – not in a good way – but are such, through their own stupidity and cowardice to stand up against Fine Gael. In another marriage of convenience, we all know who’s wearing the trousers!
