Analysis of Local and European elections and the aftermath. read full story / add a comment

The Iranian government’s campaign to mold ‘model’ Islamic citizens has not only fashioned a profound crisis of loyalty to the religious ‘ideals of the revolution’, it has nurtured action that many have silently prayed for - as the public sphere, the last bastion of the religious elites grip on power, was shot open by their own guns Sunday. read full story / add a comment

People Before Profit Alliance Councillors Joan Collins and Brid Smith Statement on election of Lord Mayor by Dublin City Councillors

People Before Profit to provide real opposition on Dublin City Council
Once again people in Dublin have voted for change on their City Council. In 2004 Labour was voted in as the largest group, ending Fianna Fail’s domination of the council. Instead of change, the people were treated to a game of musical chairs, with Labour entering a deal to divvy up the Mayorship and committee chairs with Fine Gael, and the sole Green and PD Councillors. When that deal broke down, Labour concluded an arrangement with Fianna Fail. The merry go round now continues with Labour in a deal for the new council with Fine Gael. read full story / add a comment

Labour Councillor Jim Mc Garry has been elected as Mayor of Sligo at the Council AGM this afternoon. The voting alliance between Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Labour which elected Cllr Mc Garry was harsly criticised at this afternoon’s meeting of Sligo Borough Council. After all the speculation, there will be no left-wing alliance on the Council, despite the fact that seven of the 12 councillors elected onto the new council are from left-wing parties.

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The election of Joe Higgins as the third MEP elected from Dublin has marked a significant shift in Irish politics. With the Greens now wiped out clinging desperately to a dying government the election results have shown there is an alternative and hope for another Ireland. read full story / add a comment

European Election OR Sectarian Head Count 2009? Sinn Féin's sitting MEP Bairbre de Brún created Northern Ireland electoral history by topping the poll with 126,184 votes. However, both the Dublin and Irish governments will tonight be pondering nervously about the future of their landmark Good Friday Agreement (Sunningdale Mark II). read full story / add a comment

Joe Higgins’ stunning victory in the Dublin Euro Constituency, getting 12.5% of the first preference vote, out polling Sinn Fein and defeating two sitting MEPs, was the final part in a weekend of drama and great election results for the Socialist Party in Ireland. read full story / add a comment

Anyone able to get tally figures,etc read full story / add a comment

The controversial ex-prime minister of the Czech Republic and rotating leader of the EU for most of this year, Mirek Topolanek has responded to the publication of five images taken by a Sardinian journalist's collection of many hundreds at the holiday villa of Italian billionaire, media mogul and prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.

The publication of the photographs have provoked legal action from both Berlusconi and Topolanek despite their unprecendent sucess. "El Pais" has issued both English and Italian language editorials and garnered the complete support of the spanish union of journalists. read full story / add a comment

Today Emma Bonino vice-president of the Italian Senate (since May 8th), former European Union commissioner for humanitarian affairs & currently leader of the "Italian radical party" went on hunger and thirst strike last night in the main offices of the state TV RAI to protest
(1) the unfair allottment of state media time to the electoral parties
(2) the utter farce which has been the EU elections in Italy. read full story / add a comment

The Evening Herald today joined the political establishment in a desperate bid to dig FiannaFail out of an electoral hole in Dublin by publishing a pathetic 'Red Scare' smear against me as the Socialist Party Euro Candidate by Fianna Fail Minister of Defence, Willie O'Dea. Resorting to the most illiterate of political abuse, O'Dea pathetically tries to associate me with the ghost of the monster Stalin to scare Dublin voters, thereby insulting their intelligence.

The Herald is guilty of sharp practice and contemptible and partisan pro Fianna Fail propaganda by publishing lies from both O'Dea and Eoin Ryan without, quite deliberately, having afforded me any opportunity to respond. read full story / add a comment

This is the final election broadcast of Joe Higgins, who is standing for the Euro elections in Dublin, with a chance of beating Fianna Fail's Eoin Ryan, and winning a seat.

In the video Joe summarizes why he wants people to vote for the Socialist Party in the Euro & Local elections. read full story / add a comment

Ahead of Friday's poll, two election candidates have been facing quite different problems getting their message out through campaign posters. read full story / add a comment

Edward Horgan Resigns from Green Party
Veteran UN peacekeeper and human rights activist Dr. Edward Horgan was a prominent Green Party member until he resigned and gave his support for the EU elections to independent candidate Patricia McKenna.

Mr Horgan who was a prominent member of the Greens for many years tore up his Green Party membership card during a Green Party press conference saying that the party had not only let their voters down but also members of their own party.

Patricia McKenna stated; “I welcome Edward’s support, he has a great track record on highlighting human rights abuses and I am honoured that he is supporting my campaign.” read full story / add a comment

Anarchist organisation, Workers Solidarity Movement (WSM), has claimed that voting in Friday’s local, European and by-elections is a waste of time. read full story / add a comment

Dr Edward Horgan (Comdt. retd.), former UN peacekeeper and anti-war/human rights activist today resigned his membership of the Green Party.
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PBPA says Vote for Real Change and Give the Government a Bloody Nose
Alliance Predicts Gains For Left Independents
Attacks On Joe Higgins Show The Establishment Is Running Scared read full story / add a comment

Euro Candidate For Sinn Féin Kathleen Funchion, Visits Newbridge read full story / add a comment

Independent Euro candidate and former MEP Patricia McKenna is calling for the Green Party to withdraw from Government. Her call is being backed by former Green Party Councillors Chris O'Leary and Betty Doran.

They are appealing to the Green Party to do what is needed for Ireland by pulling out of government, thus causing a general election. If the Greens stand behind what Fianna Fáil is currently trying to do, they will be participating in economic treason. If they allow NAMA - which has the taxpayers riding to the rescue of banks that were bankrupted with the help of Fianna Fáil leaders and their cronies - to be voted through, there will be no going back and the people of this nation will be footing the bill for generations to come. The Government has no mandate to go ahead with NAMA. The only democratic action would be to ask the people what options they prefer to take to help address the current crisis. read full story / add a comment

Just when Fianna Fail's Dublin Euro Candidate Eoin Ryan thought it couldn't get much worse, it did. Mary Harney publicly endorsed him!

The hapless Eoin must have felt his political lifeblood chill as Harney's cold kiss of political support sealed his fate.Already spurned by many categories of workers from airport staff to teachers - all victims of Fianna Fail's slash and burn response to the Fianna Fail induced crash - now every nurse, doctor, hospital attendant and taxi driver whom Harney has alienated in her day will join the revolt. read full story / add a comment