Sinn Fein and how do they form a government dilemma

On another thread in this very forum you are singing the praises of a public rep who recommends shooting people in the head on the streets.

I cannot see any other political party letting Sinn Fein anywhere near Justice, Defence or Foreign Affairs.

They might get someone like MacLochlainn as a junior minister for Foreign Aid but that is the level.

Do what FG and FF did at the foundation of the state, lock that information away in an archive, not to be opened until all involved are deceased.

On the contrary, the view that SF is entitled to whatever ministries it wants is much more like Unionist supremacist arrogance.

It will be a coalition government. The distribution of portfolios must be agreed. Yes, the other coalition partners have a veto, as does SF. That's how it works.

There will be concerns about SF Ministers in Justice and Foreign Affairs, for reasons which are rooted in history that you won't pretend you need to have explained to you. SF would be ill-advised to dismiss those concerns as akin to "Unionist supremacist arrogance". If they want SF ministers in those portfolios, they're going to have to negotiate for it, and they're going to have to find a way to allay people's concerns. This would be the opposite of that.

If FF is going into coalition with SF as the smaller party, it will have to insist on keeping portfolios like Justice, Defence and Foreign Affairs for all the reasons we know about SF. FF will have to paint itself as the reluctant government partner acting as a watchdog for potential threats to the State. That is the political reality that they will find themselves in. For that reason, SF getting either of those portfolios will be remote. FF will also want to leave health, housing and education to SF, while keeping the DPER portfolio.

It's gone awful quiet in here. I didn't see it so don't want to comment too much, but not a single news report has anything positive to say for Sinn Fein on this one. A serious own goal.

But for years SF have been on the "Anyone but FF/FG"

If or when SF will 'win' the next election, their supporters will be wondering why there are FF ministers in government.

No they won't. SF were pleading with FF and FG to talk to them about government formation after the last election and have been open about their willingness to do business with either after the next one. Can you quote me a single instance of an SF member or supporter publicly objecting to this stance? "We have our preferred coalition partners but if the numbers for that do not materialise we are willing to talk to anyone" is the standard, mature line on government formation for parties to take in fractured, multi-party political systems such as ours. There is no reason to believe the overwhelming majority of SF grassroots are not on board with that.

At the moment it looks like the Social Democrats are going to eclipse Labour and stand as the main centre-'left' party in the Dáil (although with Labour's rightward shift maybe that has already happened).

Looking at recent polling (keep in mind the next election is still over a year away), Sinn Féin will not be able to form a government with only one partner. They need a senior and junior partner to form a majority. I am wondering if the next government will be Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil and either the Greens or the Social Democrats. The Greens are an obvious choice for the politics of a SF/FF government. On the other hand, if the Greens perform badly (which they are expected to at the minute) maybe the Social Democrats will be picked, making SF supporters seeing FF in government again as more palatable.

I might be too cynical, though.

weird how they've become the most popular party in the country with everyone not wanting to vote for them

yeah. lads the shinner's time is coming no how much whinging there is on boards about it

you should have asked haughey and the lads. you need to read up on irish history as far as 'criminals' in the dail go. the british have been doing it for years

But, but ... what about some government TD's bogus planning application? 😂

I think immigration is causing some of SF's more "traditional'' supporters to move away from the party. I am sure Mary Lou got a bit of a shock the other week in her car. The problem for SF is that they would risk alienating the gullible young middle class they have attracted recently if they try to change course and go against immigration. I was thinking they would likely form a government with someone next time around, make an absolute bollox of it with their amateur TDs (David "up the ra" Culinane would have been sacked in any other party, but he was promoted to health spokesman in SF, such is their level of depth he is regarded as one of their heavy hitters). I am now thinking most likely they will not be part of the next government.

Who exactly was SF pleading with?

Okay maybe pleading isn't quite the mot juste but SF clearly wanted to give the impression, retrospectively anyway, that they were very much up for a deal with FF or FG and those parties had anti-democratically frozen them out.

They both had ruled out a coalition with SF prior to the election so its a lie to claim they were being dishonest with voters while they were literally keeping an election promise.