Any party that wants to win the next election must avoid the far-right trap

Catherine Connolly garnered 914,000 first preference votes, the highest number ever recorded for any presidential candidate in Irish history, by explicitly rejecting far-right narratives throughout the course of her campaign, writes Emily Duffy

Tánaiste Simon Harris's recent 'tough on immigration' rhetoric was quickly celebrated by key Irish far right influencers as a win. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA

It’s a mistake we have seen repeated across Europe, Britain and the US time and time again. Mainstream centre right and left politicians falling for the trap laid for them by far-right extremists intent on controlling what they say and do.

The playbook goes like this. Extremist rhetoric is given an outsized platform through manipulative and toxic social media platforms, racist violence spreads like wildfire, voices of solidarity and inclusion are silenced and politicians learn the wrong lessons. We see their public rhetoric move to the right, giving credence to the extreme beliefs of fringe voices.