Once in a country, always with a country
#244
My Dear Friend of Democracy,
There is no better way to develop a lasting interest in a country than to have travelled there.
That is a bit of wisdom, I know.
Still, this experience impresses me regularly. Whenever I have travelled to a country, afterwards, when reading the news, I am hooked on the news that deals with that country.
This interest can last indefinitely as I have learnt over the years.
My attachment is particularly strong with one country: Ireland. It is the first country I have travelled to with friends rather than my parents.
It was the end of my school days, and I was hitchhiking with two friends for three weeks from the east to the west coast.
Since this was more than three decades ago, there were no cell phones back then, but difficult-to-fold road maps, pubs that closed inexplicably early in the evening, and lots of rain (at least the latter will probably have stayed the same).
I don't remember much else. Except for a vague feeling of freedom and adventure.
So, when Ireland is in the news, I always get stuck.
And that's the case again these days. Because a new parliament is being elected today.
The most likely outcome? Everything will stay the same.
The Republic of Ireland looks like a rare Western democracy bent on defying the global trend of tossing out its government. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, the two centrist parties that have governed the country in a coalition since 2020, appeared to be on cruise control to lock up enough votes to stay in power.
Why is it so?
Probably because of the economy.
This is what Mark Landler, London bureau chief of the New York Times, writes:
"Buoyed by American corporate investment, the Irish government has ample fiscal resources to offer people electricity credits, welfare payments, and assorted tax breaks — a stark contrast to Britain, where the fiscally strapped Labour government felt compelled to roll out an austere budget."
In the same article Bobby McDonagh, former Irish ambassador to Britain, is quoted as:
"The fact that people are comfortable in their lives suggests a degree of continuity in the government."
✊ This is what Europe can learn from Ireland: with successful economic policies, elections can (probably) be won by parties of the democratic center.
See you in Europe,
Johannes
📸 August 1991 / Republic of Ireland
Johannes, don't forget: Ireland has achieved this level of fiscal prosperity by syphoning off desperately needed tax money from other EU member states. Because of the very low corporate tax rates Ireland has attracted a wealth of tax loop hole seekers. The number of tax evasion possibilities offered by the Irish Government is legion: Double Irish, Patent Box etc.
While I share some of the pleasant memories of Ireland and the Irish with you (in my case sailing around the SW corner from Cork and Kinsale to Dingle a few times) current Irish tax policy is fundamentally selfish and lacks solidarity!
And next to the Irish the major beneficiary of this approach are shareholders of mostly US corporations.