Declan Ganley on the Maria Steen Block: Ireland's Democracy Rigged?

📌 Join 7,000+ others on Substack for exclusive access to deep dive articles, upcoming talks, and more: https://dub.sh/1215substack Declan Ganley, a political commentator and former Libertas leader, discusses what he describes as a democratic crisis in Ireland's presidential nomination process. Expect to learn about the blocking of Maria Steen's presidential candidacy despite her securing 90% of the required nominations, Ganley's analysis of what he terms a "political cartel" controlling Irish politics, his call for voters to cast spoiled ballots as democratic protest, and his perspective on why establishment forces prevented an independent-minded candidate from accessing the ballot. The conversation examines the implications for Irish democracy when major parties coordinate to limit voter choices, the relationship between media and political establishments, and parallels with the 2024 constitutional referendum where voters rejected establishment messaging.  Ganley argues that the blocking of certain candidates represents a fundamental threat to democratic representation that demands citizen response through electoral participation rather than abstention. Get in touch: X (Twitter): https://dub.sh/eddiehobbs-x Newsletter: https://dub.sh/1215substack To engage with Eddie on personal or corporate financial matters, go to his website: https://eddiehobbs.com/ Eddie Hobbs heads up Hobbs Financial Practice Ltd, a private client advisory firm that specialises in strategic positioning of personal wealth. Hobbs Financial Practice Limited is Regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. © 2025 1215 Counterpoint Productions Limited. All rights reserved.