Editorials

Boundary changes favour bigger parties

The report by the Constituency Commission released on Wednesday has no surprises and is pretty much as expected, which is not good news for smaller parties and Independent TDs. The Commission was very limited in what it could recommend because of the 1997 Electoral Act, which places an upper limit of five seats per constituency.

EU Constitution - on the right track to 1984

George Orwell's 1984 envisaged a world divided into three countries, Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia. Humanity and individuality are suppressed and people's very thoughts are controlled.The idea may sound extreme, even in today's world of globalisation and, closer to home, Europisation, but if the debate surrounding the new EU constitution is anything to go by, Europe is moving towards Orwell's Big Brother world faster than we can imagine.

Return to Top