Stephen Collins: Water charges to dictate future of Irish politics

Victory for populist parties would call two largest parties’ viability into question

The return of the water charges issue will test the credentials of Micheál Martin and Fianna Fáil as an alternative party of power. Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins

The return of the water charges issue will test the credentials of Micheál Martin and Fianna Fáil as an alternative party of power. Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins

The threat posed by populism to the way of life Europeans have become accustomed to over the past half century was one of the themes raised by European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici during his visit to Dublin on Monday.

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