You asked, we answered. It's part one of our annual Ask Us Anything, featuring questions on journalism, politics and a podcasting rivalry.
Taking your questions in studio are Hugh Linehan, Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray, Harry McGee and Jack Horgan-Jones, with additional help from Europe correspondent Naomi O'Leary. 

 
 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ask Us Anything, Christmas 2022 edition - part one

The best analysis of the Irish political scene featuring Irish Times journalists, political thinkers and the occasional politician. Hosted by Hugh Linehan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

News

Politics

Hugh Linehan is joined by Pat Leahy and Harry McGee to look back at the week in politics. With our recent obsession on the local and European elections winding down, today we take a look at the week's Dáil debates and at the "guillotining through" of the huge piece of legislation that is the Planning Bill into its final stage. The panel also discuss whether Dáil vacancies arising as a result of TDs becoming MEPs will ever be filled in the lifetime of this Government. The panel also pick their Irish Times articles of the week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will the by-elections ever take place?

With some European seats still to be filled but the overall picture of these elections now fairly clear, Pat Leahy joins Hugh for a final episode of Election Daily to answer some outstanding questions. How did small parties including the Greens, the Social Democrats and Labour do in the end? And with counts dragging on, is it too easy for unserious candidates to get on the European ballot? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Election Daily: Taking stock as the election winds down

Citizens of the EU used their votes in last week's elections to maintain centre-right control of the European Parliament, while shifting the overall makeup of the legislature a little further to the right. 
Brussels correspondent Jack Power joins Hugh to explore how the EU parliament has just changed, whether the new right will be able to form a voting bloc, and what the new Parliament means for EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen's hope's of a second term. 
And Berlin correspondent Derek Scally looks at the success of formerly fringe parties like the far-right AfD in Germany's European election. Could the taboo of far-right involvement in German national governance be nearing an end?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A rightward shift in European politics

Hugh Linehan is joined by Jennifer Bray and Cormac McQuinn on day four of the count.
Only a handful of seats remain unfilled in the local elections with Fianna Fáil slightly ahead of Fine Gael for the majority of seats. 
Sinn Féin now has 100 seats which is an improvement on its disastrous 2019 election, however Jennifer Bray has reported on the growing unease within the party over Mary Lou McDonald’s leadership after their poor election results. 
The Dublin count is nearing its moment of truth with Barry Andrews and Regina Doherty looking comfortably in, and the final two seats still to play for. 
The team discuss the latest results, the possibility of an autumn election and they answer some listener questions. 
Minutes after recording the podcast, it was announced that outgoing MEP Clare Daly was eliminated following the 17th count of votes in the Dublin constituency. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Election Daily: Sinn Féin’s leadership under scrutiny

Hugh Linehan is joined by Pat Leahy and Cormac McQuinn to discuss the latest developments:
It is day three of the local and European election count and seats in all four MEP constituencies are still in play. In Dublin, much will depend on where votes from soon-to-be-eliminated candidates end up. Will Independent Ireland's Niall Boylan be able to capitalise, or will Sinn Féin's Lynn Boylan fare better?
There is no shortage of analysis of Sinn Féin's disappointing election and what it means. Fintan O'Toole thinks the era of the party acting as a buffer against right wing politics is over.
Meanwhile many other EU member states are experiencing a surge in support for far-right parties and candidates, but not enough to displace the centrist coalition from control of the European Parliament. 
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Ask Us Anything, Christmas 2022 edition - part one

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