Tánaiste Simon Harris said 'our migration numbers are too high' and that it was taking too long for people with no right to be here to leave. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
In the aftermath of the presidential election, one thing is clear: Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil need new ideas. Neither party had candidates or campaigns articulating a vision for the presidency, or an aspirational theme for Irish society.
It is predictable that some of their post-election musings are attempts to chime with the right.
You don’t need to be an astute observer to forecast that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil would seek to deflect from campaign shortcomings – although to be fair to Micheál Martin, he has owned his failure.
Nor do you need to be a political scientist to predict the inevitability of parties searching for political capital among those who spoiled their votes.
Continue Reading on The Irish Times
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.