Cuffe re-selected as Green candidate for Europe

Poll-topper Ciarán Cuffe has been selected as the Green Party candidate for Dublin ahead of next year’s European elections.

Cuffe, who topped the poll in 2019 with 17.5% of first preference votes, said “I am proud of what we have achieved so far, but our work is far from over.”

“The people of Dublin have been through a lot since the 2019 elections: a global pandemic, an energy crisis that saw bills skyrocket, as well as the ongoing housing and cost-of-living crises. As their representative in Europe, I have spent the last four years fighting for better laws that can provide them with a decent quality of life, reduce inequalities, and fight climate change.”

“During that time, the Greens in Europe have delivered over 20 new laws that will fight climate change while providing decent opportunities for workers and protecting the most vulnerable in our society. I am proud of what we have achieved so far, but our work is far from over,” he said.

“I am humbled to accept my party’s nomination to run as MEP for a second time, and I am grateful to the members that have placed their faith in me. I look forward to having the opportunity to continue my work on climate action and a clean and just transition for Dublin in Europe over the next five years.”

Cuffe became the first Green to be elected to Europe from the Dublin constituency since Patricia McKenna won re-election in 1999.

Elsewhere in Ireland, Ireland South MEP Grace O’Sullivan will be battling re-election, while Senator Pauline O’Reilly will contend the Midlands-North-West seat, which is tipped to gain an extra seat in 2024.

The Greens polled strongly in the region in 2019, with Saoirse McHugh securing over 50,000 first preferences in a region where the party have been historically weak.

Minister Ossian Smyth will serve as the party’s director of European elections as the Green Party faces declining poll numbers nationwide and renewed inner-party tensions about their stint in coalition.

Continent-wide, the Greens made strong gains in 2019, returning 74 MEPs, but current polling indicates they are not likely to repeat that feat in 2024.

Green parties that have gone into Government across Europe, notably in Germany, Finland, Sweden, and Austria, have seen their fortunes decline since their 2019 peak, and the most recent Europe Elects poll would see the Greens lose 25 seats across Europe.