Diverse Republic

The plight of migrants seeking foreign asylum and the rise of national populism in Western politics are two defining--and intertwined--issues of our age. Diverse Republic is the first book to examine these topics as they play out today in Ireland. Irish politics has not yet experienced the same upsurge of anti-immigrant populism as many of its allies in Europe and North America. In this book, Bryan Fanning seeks to determine why, pointing to the hesitance of Irish politicians to embrace strong nationalist rhetoric given the lasting scars of the Troubles. Fanning also identifies a widely accepted societal consensus that Irish sovereignty depends on a willingness to embrace globalization and membership in the European Union. At the same time, Diverse Republic cautions against complacency, unpacking the arguments about whether the social forces leading to reactionary anti-immigrant populism are unlikely to disappear or even lessen soon. Fanning examines the thinking of contemporary Irish people who are hostile to immigration and cultural diversity, making a clear-eyed assessment of the challenges facing future social cohesion.