section_path: Political positions and views
section_name: Political positions and views
paragraph_text: Political positions and views
  
  Higgins is generally described as a left-wing socialist. His political career has been marked by a focus on human rights, social justice, and opposition to neoliberal economics. He has been involved in causes such as gender equality, minority rights, and the protection of civil liberties, both in Ireland and internationally. Throughout his life, he has been a critic of militarism and imperialism, notably opposing American interventions in Latin America in the 1980s and the Iraq War in 2003. Higgins also places strong emphasis on cultural development, climate justice, and the idea of a more inclusive and compassionate Republic. A fluent Irish speaker and writer, Higgins has advocated for greater emphasis on the Irish language throughout his career. As part of this, he created TG4 in late 1996, establishing a dedicated Irish-language television station aimed at promoting the language and culture.
  
  Those critical of Higgins' views have called his views outdated and stuck in the 1970s. In 2022 Michael McDowell criticised Higgins after Higgins suggested Ireland had been "ravaged due to decades of attack from an orthodox, laissez-faire economics". McDowell counterargued that Ireland had grown by leaps and bounds economically since the 1970s and to use terms like "ravaged" did not reflect reality. In 2023, Irish economists called Higgins out of touch after he suggested they were prioritising neoliberalism over environmental concerns, and argued they had already incorporated such viewpoints long ago. Others have been critical of Higgins' views of Cuba and Iran, arguing that these countries run counter to Higgins' anti-authoritarian values.