Political Homelessness

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There has been much commentary recently about the gains made by right-wing parties across Europe. This can be taken as a hopeful sign by centrists because progressives and conservatives need each other as a curb on their worst excesses. However, in my own country of Ireland, the nationalist parties have all sold out to the global progressive agenda and we have no emerging centre-right or right-wing party with any presence in the national parliament. Unlike most of the European countries which are swinging right at the moment, Ireland was a British vassal for hundreds of years. This means that although Irish nationalism was regnant for a few decades in the past century, we may lack the kind of self-confidence that the native populations of Britain, France, and Italy have about who they are.