AMAC EXCLUSIVE
Earlier this month, 37-year-old Simon Harris became Ireland’s youngest ever leader following the shocking exit of Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. But unless Harris learns from the mistakes that led to Varadkar’s exit – namely advancing an unpopular left-wing social agenda – Harris may also become the Emerald Isle’s shortest-tenured leader.
Varadkar’s sudden fall from grace began in March with the overwhelming failure of two proposed amendments to the Irish constitution.
The first amendment, known as the “family amendment,” would have broadened the constitutional definition of family from a relationship founded in the institution of marriage to one founded in “durable relationships.” Opponents of the amendment argued that its clear purpose was to further erode Ireland’s Christian identity and destroy the central place of the nuclear family in Irish society.
The second amendment, known as the “care amendment,” would have removed the constitutional obligation to “endeavour to ensure that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home,” instead replacing that phrase with vague gender-neutral language about “supporting care.” Proponents of the change argued that the very idea of a woman being solely devoted to her family and homemaking is inherently sexist.
Varadkar had fully backed both amendments, expecting them to pass with ease. But both failed by wide margins, with 67 percent voting “no” on the family amendment, and 74 percent voting “no” on the care amendment.
Varadkar called the results “embarrassing,” and just a few weeks later shocked even many within his own government by announcing his resignation. As Ireland’s then-youngest prime minister, as well as the country’s first gay and mixed-raced leader, Varadkar had become a darling of the corporate press and global liberal establishment.
The defeat of these two amendments and Varadkar’s resignation show that, despite the undeniable leftward trend in Ireland and most of Western Europe in recent decades, there are still some vestiges of traditional values left, and conservatism may yet have a chance for revival across the Atlantic.
Ireland’s constitution is especially notable for its Christian foundations, in particular its reflection of Catholic Social Teaching, and the fact that it has remained in place since 1937 – a relatively long time compared to the constitutions of many other Western European nations.
Eamon de Valera, one of the most revered prime ministers in Irish history, made significant contributions to the Irish constitution, seeking to combine Gaelic traditions with a modern Catholic ethos. In the words of fellow Christian politician Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro, de Valera was an “absolute nationalist and a Christian patriot who believed firmly in his own people.”
De Valera was born and lived his early years in the United States, something which profoundly shaped his political philosophy. While growing up in New Jersey, he saw the traditional model of the American family, watching his mother and other women care for their homes and children.
Clemens Fenstermacher, a retired professor of history and political science, told me that de Valera’s objective was “to grant political and economic freedom to develop and expand upon the nucleus of Ireland’s old Christian civilization.”
“Through the Constitution,” he added, “de Valera enabled Ireland to become exceptional and unique.”
Since the 1990s, the Irish left has sought to erase this Catholic heritage and secularize the Irish constitution. In 2015 they successfully passed an amendment legalizing gay marriage, and in 2018 passed another amendment legalizing abortion.
The left-wing forces who pushed those two amendments, including Varadkar, made clear that they were an explicit attack on Christian teachings and the role of the church in public life. During a 2017 interview with The New York Times, Varadkar indicated that “the demise of the church… change[d] mindsets in Ireland,” paving the way for the left to dramatically ramp up the secularization of Irish society.
However, the recent defeat of the family and care amendments could be a sign of shifting political dynamics.
Family Solidarity, an Irish conservative advocacy group that advised voting “no” on both amendments, underscored that traditional social values are “the bedrock of our nation” and celebrated the victory as “a declaration by the people of Ireland that the family, based on marriage, must remain protected and cherished.”
French philosopher and theologian Dr. Aurélien-Baptiste Côté, who advised Cardinal Jean Maria Lustiger, said that these recent developments in Ireland indicate the Irish people still understand “that the vital forces of their country’s philosophical, legal, and institutional functions stem from Catholic moral and social philosophy.” De Valera, he continued, “recognized this and believed it to be the most precious treasure he could leave for the Irish people.”
Professor Fenstermacher added that de Valera “even once told his friend, Archbishop of Dublin, Dr. John Charles McQuaid, that he could not imagine peace in the world absent of politics respecting Catholic social teaching.”
Indeed, the further the world moves away from Christian teachings, the less peace there seems to be. But Ireland may provide a glimmer of hope that everyday people have not completely lost sight of this all-important foundation of Western civilization.
If Simon Harris hopes to remain in his post, he would do well to heed this lesson.
Ben Solis is the pen name of an international affairs journalist, historian, and researcher.
