Erstwhile ex-PD leader Michael McDowell looks to be stretching his political muscles in time for an autumn election with an op-ed in the Irish Times Wednesday on runaway asylum numbers a firm sign that the seanadóir is itching for one last bite of the political apple.
Slaving away up in the upper chamber, McDowell dipped his toe back into political campaigning as a voice of reason during March’s doomed family referenda amid a media guessing game that the former Tánaiste would make a stab at the Áras next year.
One of the rare genuine members of the centre right of Irish politics, fifteen years on from the demise of the Progressive Democrats it is no major secret that McDowell is hoping at one last chance of relevance at the ripe old age of 73.
Often decried as marginally to the right of Mussolini by an immature left-wing commentariat, McDowell’s looming resurrection comes at the time when the Republic is witnessing the first twitchings of a right-wing populist fightback to mass migration.
An anti-republican diehard famous for his political skirmishes against Sinn Féin when Minister for Justice as well as for ending birthright citizenship in 2004 before an influx of African mothers triggered a cogent nativist response it is right to see McDowell’s return as a potential political gamechanger.
While right-wing politics south of the border is painfully finding its tempo on the footpaths of Coolock, McDowell has two qualities an inchoate nationalist movement lacks: credibility and experience.
Whether you like it or not, your boomer parents back home in Galway or your co-worker who watches Jordan Peterson videos during lunch will often put a number one beside McDowell’s name faster than any of the populist alternatives.
It is a political truism of our age but there is an empty space on the centre to nationalist right of Irish politics and that vacuum will inevitably be filled. A collection of online-media personalities and right-wing regional kingpins are not yet constituting a coherent political force, and McDowell and other actors will exploit the lack of viable right-wing populist outlets.
As liable as he is to steal the thunder from the right you will not catch McDowell ranting about the Kalergi Plan, wandering up to Belfast to pal with the UDA or appearing outside Leinster House in an SS coat.
The genie is out of the bottle on mass immigration in Ireland with arson attacks and ad hoc community demonstrations persisting concurrently with no one political entity capturing the energy in the shadow of East Wall.
Should he relaunch his political ambitions likely in the form of a centre right party grouping McDowell will either be the figure to mainstream right-wing talking points, successfully corral populist discontent, or likely a mixture of both.
A populist coalition of 20% of the electorate consisting of rural voters, urban Shinners, politically marooned Catholics as well as a struggling middle class lies waiting at McDowell’s feet should he be the first national figure to master the national mood.
The fact that McDowell is set to be the potential lightning rod points to the imperfect efforts of the fringe populist milieu in Ireland to mount a comprehensive assault on mainstream politics in Ireland despite a budding audience.
As intoned by Fintan O’Toole right-wing politics is just one Farage away from normalisation with McDowell potentially filling those shoes despite his ultimate aversion to nationalism whether it be in the form of the Provisional movement or contemporary anti-migration campaigners.
The question of how McDowell can and should be dealt with is a salient one.
On one hand, similar to the radicalisation of Christian Democrats across Europe, McDowell’s rightward shift is a typical example of how political insiders could open the gates to national populism.
On the other hand, just like the 2004 Citizenship Referendum, despite an initial sugar rush McDowell could successfully defang the populist right with the lexicon of migration control, locking out radicals for another generation.
In certain respects the rise and fall of Independent Ireland over the Ciaran Mullooly affair could be a dress rehearsal for the collision between populist feeling and semi-established political with non-aligned gombeen TDs the probable benefactors for a rise of nationalist discontent.
There is cosmic irony in Eoin MacNeill’s grandson emerging as the chosen figure to potentially suffocate 21st century Irish nationalism.
Like him or loath him but McDowell is a factor in an emerging populist milieu and one which could make or break the next generation of Irish politics.
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A failed progressive democrat,sure why wouldn’t the young 73yr old bran muncher want to stick the boot in,a last gasp before being dragged out to his out of date retirement pasture.
Says it all about Politically Progressive Politicians…in Ireland,they never know when to bow out,shut up and leaving their contaminated smell behind to sicken future governance.
Time is running out for younger educated Irish Patriotic Visionaries, to
finally make their move,because they do exist…and their own are waiting
I’ve just looked up his website. I have no idea why this guy is thought as right wing and in one of his articles he writes,
“The seriousness of the threat that Donald Trump poses to liberal democracy was re-emphasised in his online “conversation” with Elon Musk”
In another article he states,
“immigration policy is not some isolated political matter. ……It cannot be addressed simply at national level. It must be addressed at EU level….”
If this is right wing in Ireland then Harris must be Lenin reincarnated.
Michael McDowell is a joke from the Uniparty.
No change whatsoever.
Sure, he is Uniparty. But he can be pushed, shamed and mocked into making strong statements on migration. (Even Sinn Fein are talking about deportations.)
For example: We could reasonably expect him to make a statement saying that all foreign convicted criminals be deported to their country of origin, and forbidden re-entry to Ireland.
That widens the Overton window. It allows Normies to think it as well. Once Normies start thinking like this, that allows them to vote for more truthful anti-migration voices, and to attend the peaceful anti-migration rallies.
Welcome back Michael McDowell. Ireland has missed you.