A group of Fine Gael members are pushing the party to formally affirm its “centre-right” status at the upcoming ardfheis on November 7th and 8th, seeking to distance the organisation from what one describes as the “woke left,” The Irish Times reported.
Draft Motion and Grassroots Push for Christian Democracy
The draft motion, submitted to party headquarters for consideration for inclusion on the agenda at University College Cork, asks the assembly to affirm Fine Gael as a “centre-right party, in the European Christian Democratic tradition.” An explanatory document circulating among members argues that occupying this specific ideological space serves as a “bulwark against the far right and populism.” Authored at the grassroots level and signed by councillors, the motion has already secured approval from several local branches and constituency organisations.
David Higgins, an economist and newspaper columnist, part of the group seeking support from the party’s grassroots, told The Irish Times that the party should evaluate whether its current “progressive centre” label remains appropriate for contemporary politics. “The word ‘progressive’ is now tainted by association with the woke left and most voters already perceive Fine Gael to be on the right,” Higgins said.
The supporting document contends that Christian Democracy offers an established European framework centered on social justice and community. Higgins added that this outlook is shared directly with the European People’s Party, the political grouping of which Fine Gael is a member in the European Parliament, suggesting the party should embrace the terminology used before wider European electorates.
Internal Party Reservations and Voter Perception Data
Despite grassroots momentum, some Fine Gael TDs harbor reservations regarding the text of the document. These politicians question how familiar Irish voters are with the concept of Christian Democracy and whether adopting the label risks diluting the Fine Gael brand through an association with a political persuasion that is more recognised in other European countries like Germany.
To support their position, proponents of the motion point to recent data from An Coimisiún Toghcháin, which indicates that 32 per cent of Irish voters view themselves as centre-right, compared to 27 per cent who identify as centre-left. The same research reveals that 55 per cent of voters perceive Fine Gael as centre-right, while only 15 per cent of voters perceive the party to be to the left.
The circulating document outlines core Fine Gael values as personal responsibility, individual, family, and community empowerment free from state constraint, and a commitment to law and order built upon the state institutions the party has been instrumental in building over a century. It further defines the state as an expression of the Irish nation while emphasizing international cooperation with Europe and America alongside a social market economy that balances a strong welfare state with enterprise and efficient markets.
Ardfheis Logistics and Next Steps
Party headquarters faces a significant administrative bottleneck ahead of the two-day gathering in Cork. A Fine Gael spokesman noted that the party received more than 440 motions for the ardfheis, which will feature at least 20 policy sessions.
“It is simply not possible, nor feasible, to debate this amount of motions,” the spokesman said. A subcommittee overseen by the party’s executive council is currently working on the final list of motions. The clár for the ardfheis will be finalised and published next week.
