There should be no illusions on the left, and particularly amongst Marxists, about the nature of the office of president. The constitution sets tight limits on the powers of the president, and it has clear mechanisms to allow the establishment to remove a president who threatens political ‘stability’.
The Catherine Connolly campaign has drawn support from almost every part of the existing Irish left and republican parties. We, however, do not view this as the basis for the development of a genuine left alternative that will challenge the establishment. As we have pointed out, it is a big political mistake to pose it in these terms, when it includes pro-capitalist parties of austerity like Labour, Sinn Fein, Social Democrats and the Greens.
After a dirty campaign, filled with nonsensical smears directed at Catherine Connolly, many more people see the nasty reality of the Irish establishment. Particularly when it feels threatened. It will never change. It needs to be booted out.
The more things change, the more they stay the same?
“I am absolutely pro-business…”, Catherine Connolly’s words on RTE’s ‘This Week’ programme of 12 October. These were spoken a few days after a Budget which reflected the power of business over government. The hospitality VAT reduction, just one of several lucrative ‘pro-business’ measures in that budget, will hand back EUR 632 million per year to bosses in that sector. This is being paid for by budget measures that deliberately reduce the disposable income of workers. With the poorest workers the hardest hit.
Catherine Connolly is on record as declaring she will sign all legislation that comes before her as President, so long as it is constitutional. This, presumably, would include any legislation that is explicitly aimed at lowering the living standards of the working class. Budget 2027 will pick up where Budget 2026 left off and increase pressure on working people. If Catherine Connolly becomes president, she will sign the Finance Acts which are the legislative basis of this lowering of living standards.
Connolly has also stated that the national question is Ireland would be high on her agenda as president. But at no stage has she indicated that the national question cannot be resolved within the confines of the Good Friday Agreement. In fact, reliance on capitalist solutions can lead to deeper divisions rather than solving the problem.
What Would a Vote for Connolly Mean for the Working Class?
A vote for Catherine Connolly would represent a defeat for the establishment. But there should be zero illusions that a Connolly victory will, by itself, mark any major advance.
It would be better if Connolly were in the Áras for the next seven years, rather than Humphreys. The class struggle continues. A president who speaks out against the far right might be an asset but the fight against the far right must continue in our communities, on the streets, in our schools, colleges and workplaces. Likewise, a president who is vocal on Gaza and solidarity with the Palestinian struggle could also be a positive.
A vague parliamentary ‘left alliance’, based on a bare minimum programme, might emerge from the Connolly election campaign. This is not what is needed to face the huge challenges ahead. A mass party of the working class, based on the trade unions and including the socialist left, and drawing in wider layers of the working class, is urgently needed. This is what Militant Left will continue to fight for regardless of the result on 24 October.