European Parliament Elections 2024 - Friday, June 7th

He is ex Labour and like many rural Labour members would be very close in ethos to the left wing side of FF, eg small farmers, small local business people or the ordinary worker's that support FF.

His choice was Renew or the socialists. Renew are probably offering him the best deal from tge point of view of committees he wants onto. He is a serious political operator

Well, they wouldn't be. These names have been agreed between representatives of the EPP, the Socialists and the Liberals, who between them have a majority in the Parliament. Not coincidentally, of the three names put forward one (von der Leyen) is a Christian Democrat, one (Costa) is a Socialist and one (Kallas) is a Liberal. Obviously this coalition is not going to put forward rival candidates for the same office; that's not how coalitions work. It's up to parties not in the coalition to propose rival candidates.

But whether do do so or not is a tactical decision. There are a diversity of parties outside those three, and they dislike one another even more than they dislike the EPP/the Socialists/the Liberals, so there is no possiblity of an agreed candidate between them. Thus anyone who is put forward by one of these groups won't look like "the opposition candidate"; they'll look like a fringe, marginal figure. The groups concerned may not see any value in positioning themselves this way.

The names are going to be put to a meeting of the European Council — the heads of government — and the Council does contain members who are not part of the EPP/Socialist/Liberal grouping: Orban from Hungary; Meloni from Italy; a few others. But the EPP/Socialist/Liberal grouping has a majority among national governments just as it does in the Parliament, so it will be surprising if these three people are not nominated by the Council.

How do you know that the request is being ignored?

https://www.politico.eu/article/european-council-summit-eu-leaders-ursula-von-der-leyen-giorgia-meloni-live-updates/

Well as to be expected. Hoping the FF MEP's stick to there election campaign promises and not vote for her. Even after The Taoiseach request today to support her. Even Sean Kelly tweeted on it and also try to tell the MEP's to vote along the group lines!

In other news as the Renew Europe group, increased there membership by 1 recently, I assume Michael McNamara has joined it.

Also Billy Kelleher @RenewEurope
MEPs elected him as their 1st Vice President.

It is even more disappointing to see the Taoiseach suggesting that MEPs would vote for her so Ireland is not disadvantaged .

Hard to understand how FG can support V.d.Leyen now if there is a danger she would disadvantage Ireland because of our support for peace for Palestine. I hope irish media give prominence to the double standards of Harris

I am only repeating what Pascal Donoghue said on Radio this morning - maybe his exact words but his sentiment. It was mentioned that MM was already talking to the FF MEP's and it was better for FG not to get involved

On 27th June I posted this comment: -

as the Renew Europe group, increased there membership by 1 recently, I assume Michael McNamara has joined it.

Confirmed today: - THE RENEW EUROPE GROUP WELCOMES INDEPENDENT MEP MICHAEL MCNAMARA

Unconfirmed rumour is that Ciaran Mullooly was also thinking of joining it, so if the number jumps to 76 maybe both have?

Edit: - Now confirmed!

https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2024/0702/1457828-mullooly-european-parliament/

It is understood a number of Fianna Fáil MEPs had expressed reservations about Mr Mullooly joining Renew on the basis that Independent Ireland was a right-wing and eurosceptic party.

However, those objections appear to have been dropped.

@Quin_Dub Assume You edit my post to correct the alternative name for 'The Taoiseach'. My apoligies bad habit, I refrain from using it outside the appropriate thread for it.

A new Right wing group was formed on the 30th June. “Patriots for Europe” and all ready welcoming new members.

The new alliance has been dubbed the “Patriots for Europe” and will require backing from parties from at least four other countries to be recognised as an official group in the European Parliament – where far-right groups have made gains.

The AfD group is also suspended from ID so it is possible they might join Orban's group.

This new group seem to be very much in the Putin camp with attempt to block Ukraine accession and aid . But right now this group seems to want to reduce the influence of Meloni and Le Pen. i assume Orban has difficulty with a grouping being lead by a woman . Also, If Meloni can't deliver the votes for Van de Leyen then she will be cast aside by the Commission president.

The more they all split the better for us all.

This is where defining someone as left or right becomes quite complicated due to having views that are very much one way and views that are very much the other.

Mullooly got 10k transfers from Aontu, who are also in that space. 4.5k culmulative from FF candidates, 3k from Casey, 3k from Hermann Kelly but 2.5k from McHugh as his substantive transfers - the rest are fairly small.

McNamara, who is definitely more identifiably left of centre on most issues than Mullooly, got 2k from IFP and 8k from Derek Blighe - so a fairly hefty amount of far right votes; and a lot more than Mullooly.

That's the thing with the single transferable vote. It can end up going anywhere. I voted Labour and it ended up getting Cynthia Ní Mhurchú elected. I wouldn't read too much about who transferred to who, especially when it's not the number 1 vote going to number 2 (I had her I think as my number 5 or 6)

I suspect this move is largely a solo run on Mullooly's part; can't imagine it is part of a deep strategic plan drawn up by those political heavyweights Fitzmaurice & Collins. I'd say if II are really looking to court the populist-right vote going into the GE, they'll need to cut the ex-RTe man loose, certainly it's hard to see them getting any more positive coverage from these guys while Mullooly is on board.

I was just using the article to illustrate how Mullooly has ticked off 'the Irish Right' by hooking up with the European Democrats, not praising it for any great insight. In fact it seems pretty obtuse, even by McGuirk's standards; he seems to be have been mistaking II (probably out of wishful thinking) for a legit political party with a coherent strategy and policy platform, rather than a loosely aligned group of indos with vaguely overlapping agendas, some of whom are barely 'right wing' at all.