🎧 Sinn Fein and Sardines

Episode summary: We talk about two countries going through dramatic democratic change: Ireland, where Sinn Féin came top of the vote in last weekend’s general election, and Italy, where the Sardines are the latest movement trying to shake up the system. What does the Irish vote tell us about the collapse of two party politics? Does Sinn Féin’s success suggest that the party has changed or that the electorate has changed? And in Italy, who or what now stands between Salvini and power? Plus we discuss whether the age of ‘grand coalition’ politics is now over. With Niamh Gallagher, Lucia Rubinelli and Chris Bickerton. Talking Points: In 1997 Sinn Féin got only 2% of the vote, in the recent Irish general election they got almost 25%. What explains this shift? - In the 90s, the party was still connected to the IRA and the politics of Northern Ireland. - Sinn Féin voters today skew young (under 45). Their major concerns are issues such as the cost of living, rent, and healthcare. - The party ran and won on a leftist platform. -…