Mick Clifford: We must address threats to democracy
People going to vote in the 2024 General Election at the polling station in Delgany National School, Co Wicklow. Picture: RollingNews.ie
And so it begins. The next Dáil, the next phase of development in our democracy, state, and society has been conceived at the polls. Today, and over the coming days, the first glimpse of the make-up of the parliament will crystallise. Due to the fragmented nature of Irish politics right now, it will be a bit longer before we find out the composition of the next government.
The first thing to acknowledge at a time like this is how lucky we are in this country. Having the right to vote on who governs is still a minority privilege on the planet. Even within the cohort of countries which subscribe nominally to democracy, there are many who attempt to undermine basic rights. For instance, studies this year by the Global State Of Democracy Initiative show that this year one in three voters live in a country where the quality of elections has declined. It also found that in one in five elections which took place between 2020 and 2024, the losing candidate or party rejected the outcome. The latter, of course, includes the USA, the alleged beacon of democracy and freedom, where in 2020 Donald Trump refused to accept the result.
Take us with you this summer.
