When/why did SF become so pro EU ?

Utter Consternation wrote: »

Mortelaro wrote: »

Actually all they did was correct the guy who said SF were only against 'certain' EU treaties

That being said evolving is good
The quickest way to unite Ireland in the Short term was to ditch all semblance of a physical border which is what the single market quietly and unceremoniously achieved
Certain mainly typically illogical DUP elements always hated that
SF have long evolved into a bigger game plan than just a united Ireland, though obviously that's an integral part of it

In 2004 Sinn Féin succeeded in getting its first MEPs elected to the European parliament, with victories in both Northern Ireland (Bairbre de Brún) and the Republic of Ireland (Mary Lou McDonald) alike. Standing on a platform of 'critical but constructive engagement' with Europe, the successful candidates were representatives of a party that has significantly modified its policy on Europe over the last three decades. At the time of its creation, Sinn Féin adopted a position of outright hostility to the EEC (which included a refusal to even take part in European elections), based upon a 'traditional nationalist' conception of what European integration meant. By the time of the 1984 European election, participation at the European level had become conceivable, yet this approach co-existed with an essentially unchanged Euro-scepticism throughout the remainder of the decade. It was only in the 1990s that the party's underlying attitude to Europe underwent significant change and began to more clearly resemble the policy as it stands today. The evolution of this policy, in itself noteworthy, also reveals much about the broader development of Sinn Féin, as the party has successfully negotiated its passage from the margins to the political mainstream.

FrancieBrady wrote: »

There were a number of posts before maccored posted and a number after that did the usual thing when it comes to the Shinners.


Research isn't hard to do in the internet age and I did it before on this subject to inform myself. As far back as the mid 90's you can find web pages and statements from SF that show the policy they are running with today, and it isn't anti EU and certainly not suggesting leaving.


But would the usual 'guys' here do any research ...will they heck.
Here is a 'less shouty' outline of an essay which sums up the history of their engagement with the EU in it's abstract.

But maybe Boards is only interested in trite generalisations. Labour and all the Trade Unions were also anti joining the EEC.



https://www.jstor.org/stable/30001944?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

FrancieBrady wrote: »

No, I said nothing about what maccored had said, he can answer for himself.

I 'lambasted' the usual trite, false comments being made by others. And laughing at those who demand constantly that this party change and when they have demonstratively evolved a position over 30 - 40 years call them 'populists' and 'hypocrites'.

It is fantastical stuff really, if you'd think about it for a minute.

blanch152 wrote: »

If someone says (as maccored did) that Sinn Fein was always pro-EU, it is not trite or false to respond (as you did) that he is wrong.

We are actually in agreement here. You agree with me that Sinn Fein was virulently anti-EU and opposed Ireland's accession to the EU but has changed its position since. We agree on that (so does Permabear II, mattser, RandomName2, myself et al) unlike others (maccored in particular, who says that Sinn Fein have always been pro-EU), so take up your accusations of lying with your fellow republicans, not with the rest of us.

We can disagree on the extent to which they have changed (barely, in my opinion) and why (because of populism and opposing themmums), but we are in agreement that they have changed, so put away the normal blinkers and engage with the actual reality of what people posted.

As for the usual trite, have a look at your own posting on this thread.

Permabear11 wrote:

Sinn Fein's decades-long outright hostility to the EU would make the likes of Nigel Farage proud.

mattser wrote:

3-2-1

mattser wrote:

LIFT OFF

Randomname2 wrote:

And naturally, as a poster had already pointed out, both the UK (and particularly their main rival in Stormont) are anti-EU, so they want to appear to do the opposite of what their opponent does.

Zayden Most Rating wrote: »

Sure there isn't. :rolleyes:

Mary Lou McDonald and Nigel Farage joined forces in 2012 to campaign for a No vote on the Fiscal Compact Treaty.

Farage's Brexit Party has also been using video clips of McDonald's speeches to bolster its own position.

McDonald now says that her party is "Euro critical" rather than "Euroskeptic," but that's nothing more than semantics. They have been bedfellows of the UK hard right when it comes to opposing the EU.

“Ireland’s place in the EU is secure. Our membership of the EU is as valued as France, the Netherlands and all other member states. Keeping Ireland at the heart of Europe is our priority. Sinn Féin wants to see Ireland play a central role in shaping the future direction of the European Union in the interests and all other member states. Since myself and Bairbre de Brún were elected to the European Parliament in 2004 we have had five key political priorities:–

- protecting Ireland’s interests in the EU,

- advancing the peace process, Irish language and the case for Irish unity,

- promoting workers’ rights’, regional development and the needs of Ireland’s rural economy,

- climate change,

- neutrality and global social justice.

NIMAN wrote: »

They campaigned against every eu treaty.
Every single one.

The public would have seen them as anti-EU.

Robert_Beach wrote: »

Every single one by my count. And of course they were wailing about how undemocratic a second ref (both times). We keep that quiet now,

Actually it would be interesting to dig up boards threads from the Nice and Lisbon re-runs and see how the arguments line up with what Nigel Farage is saying now

Mortelaro wrote: »

Certain ?
Didn't they oppose all EU treaties and in fact campaign AGAINST our EC membership in the 1972 referendum

blanch152 wrote: »

Am I in the Revisionist History thread again?

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=111503025&postcount=1

There is a whole other thread on the SF Eire Nua Policy, some of the lesser highlighted gems in it include:

"Power blocs such as NATO and the EEC on the one hand and COMECON and the Warsaw Pact on the other will be avoided."

"Pending Ireland’s withdrawal from the EEC to resist the implementation of any decrees or policies of the Common Market which would be detrimental to the best interests of our people or any section of it."

Sinn Fein were Irexit long before Johnson was Brexit.

Go back further and Sinn Fein campaigned against Ireland joining the EEC. Has there ever been a Treaty that they were in favour of?

maccored wrote: »

Find me anywhere where SF - the party as it stands today, not 40 years ago - have stated they are anti EU. Forget the whataboutery.

SF have always been pro-EU in regards being part of the EU

Skylinehead wrote: »

You said:



Patently false. Pointing out that it is indeed false is not even slightly "whataboutery".