Photograph Source: Houses of the Oireachtas – CC BY 2.0

Ireland just made history by electing Catherine Connolly as its next president in a milestone victory that attracted international attention. Historian Van Gosse referred to her as “someone we can be proud of, unlike the Plastic Paddys who parade their ‘Irishness’ in this [US] country.” Activist and author Medea Benjamin commented, “Ireland just reminded the world what moral leadership looks like, electing a president who speaks for justice, stands with Palestine, rejects NATO’s militarism and wants to preserve Ireland’s neutrality.” At the same time Connolly crucially “still supports Ukraine and condemns Russian aggression, [and] one can legitimately recognize both,” indicated international relations scholar Stephen Zunes.

Connolly is a socialist politician known for her advocacy of peace, equality, and social justice. She held over 900,000 first-preference votes. Her election marks Ireland’s tradition of progressive leadership as this all brings up new questions about the nation’s future in Europe and around the world.

To understand Connolly’s win, I spoke with scholar and political scientist Yvonne Galligan — a leading academic concerning Irish politics and gender studies and lead editor of States of Democracy: Gender and Politics in the European Union (Routledge, 2015). In this conversation, exclusive for CounterPunch, Galligan talks about Connolly’s surge within Ireland’s social transformation since the 1990s, considers how her presidency might influence debates on neutrality and Europe, and speaks on the state of justice-centered movements/coalitions that challenge the current political orthodoxies.

Daniel Falcone: First, what does Catherine Connolly’s victory show Ireland and the world about the current mood of the Irish electorate?

Yvonne Galligan: That’s a very interesting question. Since Connolly received over 900,000 first-preference votes, about two-thirds of the total votes cast, it was clear that the electorate strongly endorsed the platform she stood on — one of peace, justice, [and] equality. She clearly articulated those principles. The Irish people responded to them.

It’s important to note that in a presidential election, party loyalty is not as strong as a general election — voters feel freer to make independent choices. Many supported Connolly because her platform represented a distinction from government policy at this time. Both factors reflect the electorate’s current mood and a desire for integrity, fairness, and politics based on social values. She was also seen as an anti-establishment........

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