Mary Lou McDonald has said Sinn Féin is “Eurocritical” rather than Eurosceptic at the launch of the party’s European election manifesto.
The Sinn Féin leader said they were promising “strong representation” in the European Parliament and will “push for a transformed social” European Union.
She said Euroscepticism is “a very British phenomenon” and accused Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil MEPs of being “always uncritical, unquestioning and unprepared ultimately to stand up for Irish interests” in Europe.
The party currently has one MEP, Chris MacManus in the Midlands-North West constituency.
Sinn Féin is running Mr MacManus and Michelle Gildernew in the five-seater constituency, senator Lynn Boylan and Councillor Daithí Doolan in Dublin, and TD Kathleen Funchion and Paul Gavan in the South constituency.
Asked about the reception the party was getting on the doors, Ms McDonald said the party was having “very interesting conversations with people on the door”.
“I have detected a real appetite to engage in a way that I haven’t seen in previous elections, not just to do the ‘hello, goodbye’ and get off the doorstep quickly.”
She added: “You’re always going to get individual, very, very trenchant views and you know what? That’s OK. We live in a democracy, people are free to express themselves as they wish.
“But the vast bulk of people that we are meeting – including people who are alarmed and concerned and angry when they see the government has not managed housing, healthcare and the issue of immigration – what we find are people who are frustrated for sure, but also very, very reasonable.
“Four years ago, 2020, there was a big surge, a big appetite and a real sense of positivity around change.
“We’re four years down the line, and I’m very conscious that there’s been almost a frustration for people who are asking ‘Well, where is it?’.”
She said it was important to emphasise that abuse of politicians was not happening “hither thither and yon, it’s not the defining feature of the campaign”.
Senator Lynn Boylan said there is “a tiny, tiny percentage of people who are abusive” but “most people very fair and compassionate”.
Councillor Daithí Doolan said it is “a very vocal minority” who are “loud, brash and angry”.
“But most people, 99 per cent of people, want to discuss local issues, European issues, taxation issues, housing, zebra crossings, yellow lines. That’s what they want. But the angry people have been let down by the government.”
Asked if the party’s fall in opinion polls was putting pressure on her leadership, Ms McDonald said: “No, I don’t believe so.
“On the laws of political gravity, that which goes up will come down.”
She said she believed they would have “a very strong performance” in the local and European elections.
“I want us to be the largest party full stop and I want us to be the party of government, absolutely.
“What constitutes success for us? Success for us is that we drive and we deliver change. And that means you go out and you compete and politics is a contact sport, ladies and gentlemen, you go out and you compete for every single vote.”
Asked about the timing of a general election, Ms McDonald said “my money has always been on the autumn”.
“I don’t see this government staggering to the finish line in the springtime.”
