With the presidential campaign finally under way and the first television debate having taken place on Monday night, the impact of the very small field of candidates is becoming apparent. The fact that only three – Catherine Connolly, Heather Humphreys and Jim Gavin – made it on to the ticket has led to claims and counterclaims. On one side are accusations that democracy is being violated; on the other, that everything is grand and there’s nothing to see here.
While some of the reactions are clearly hyperbolic, there are reasons to feel uncomfortable with the rules as they stand.
First, it’s obviously not true that the failure of more than three candidates to secure a nomination somehow constitutes evidence that Ireland is not a democracy, or that democratic principles have been violated. Many democracies don’t allow any popular participation at all in the election of their head of state.
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