People Before Profit Galway support Catherine Connolly for President
Welcoming Catherine Connolly’s candidacy for the Presidency, People Before Profit Galway representative Maisie McMaster said:
‘The People Before Profit branch in Galway enthusiastically welcomes the announcement this week of Catherine Connolly’s candidacy for President of Ireland. People Before Profit’s Steering Committee has endorsed Catherine’s campaign, and subject to ratification at a forthcoming National Council of People Before Profit members, our TDs Paul Murphy and Richard Boyd-Barrett shall formally nominate her for the position’.
‘Catherine’s candidature is a crucial opportunity for the left in Ireland to engage in an transformative and inspirational campaign, reminiscent of the campaign of Zohran Mamdami as a socialist mayoral candidate in New York City. On climate, as the government continues to lag behind its already meagre climate targets, she has clearly contrasted herself from other TDs through her principled stand against regressive measures like the Galway bypass. On women’s rights, she took a principled stand in favour of repealing the 8th amendment and supporting a woman’s right to choose their own reproductive futures.’
‘On Palestine and neutrality, she has clearly labelled Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocidal and opposed the European Union’s moves towards militarisation and the criminalisation of those fleeing war and seeking refuge in Europe. The contrast with Mairéad McGuinness, a vocal supporter of the consistently pro-Israeli Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who has voted against a resolution to step up search and rescue efforts for refugees in the Mediterranean, could not be more stark.’
‘We urge all those on the left in Ireland to campaign for Catherine as a worthy successor to Michael D. Higgins. The left, boosted by Catherine’s victory in a Presidential election and firmly committed to ruling out coalition with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, would be in a powerful position to form a principled left government and end the over 100-year rule of these parties at the next general election. Let’s unite behind Catherine to seize this opportunity’.