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How it is governed

Ireland on the 12 axes

MLPGFree-Market CosmopolitanOpen markets, open minds, open borders for ideas.

Ireland is typed MLPG, the Free-Market Cosmopolitan. Its strongest leans are Democratic on authority (-0.95), Progressive on morality (-0.90) and Cooperation on foreign policy (-0.90). Judicial constraints on the executive score 0.957 out of 1 (V-Dem, 2025), abortion is available on request within a gestational limit, and the Women, Business and the Law index stands at 92.1 (2025). Trade leans Global, with trade equal to 240% of GDP (2025). Technology sits closest to the centre, at Caution +0.25.

Luxembourg is the nearest match at 88% and shares nearly every lean. The clearest split is welfare, where Luxembourg leans Shared at -0.40 and Ireland leans Self-reliant at +0.40, with general government spending of 22% of GDP (IMF, 2025). Luxembourg also has no trade data. On this page you can see how Irish politicians and historical figures stack up against the profile, and take the test to measure your own closeness.

Laws and institutionsData 2026-10
ECONOMYSTATESOCIETYWORLDOwnershipMarketsWelfareAuthoritySecurityStructureMoralityReligionTechnologyCultureTradeForeign
Axis by axis

Where Ireland sits

  1. 01Ownership+65
    PublicPrivate
  2. 02Markets+55
    PlannedFree
  3. 03Welfare+40
    SharedSelf-reliant
  4. 04Authority-95
    DemocraticStrong leader
  5. 05Security-80
    LibertyOrder
  6. 06Structure+100
    LocalCentral
  7. 07Morality-90
    ProgressiveTraditional
  8. 08Religion-35
    SecularReligious
  9. 09Technology+25
    EmbraceCaution
  10. 10Culture-55
    MulticulturalNational identity
  11. 11Trade-75
    GlobalProtected
  12. 12Foreign policy-90
    CooperationStrength

Scores come from laws, budgets and institutional indexes, not from polls or the party in power. How country profiles are built

People

Who is closest to how Ireland is governed?

Each percentage compares a person's documented positions with the country's current profile, on the axes both have on record. A high score means their views match the status quo. A low one means they would change more.

Historical figures

  1. Daniel O'ConnellDaniel O'Connell1775-1847 · Founder of the Catholic Association (1823)66%
  2. Charles Stewart ParnellCharles Stewart Parnell1846-1891 · Leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party (from 1880)52%
  3. Éamon de ValeraÉamon de Valera1882-1975 · Taoiseach of Ireland50%
  4. Michael CollinsMichael Collins1890-1922 · Director of intelligence of the Irish Volunteers and IRA48%

Governed most like Ireland

How close are you to Ireland?

Your 12 Axes result ranks the countries governed most like your answers, next to ideologies, figures and politicians.

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Ireland: questions

What is Ireland's type on the 12 axes?

Read from its laws and institutions, Ireland comes out as MLPG (Free-Market Cosmopolitan). The type takes one letter per family of three axes: Economy, State, Society and World. It describes how the country is governed, not what its people think.

Which figure from Ireland is closest to how it is governed today?

Of the people from Ireland profiled here, Daniel O'Connell sits closest to its current policy profile, at 66% on the axes both have on record.

Which countries are governed most like Ireland?

On the 12 axes, Luxembourg is closest at 88%, followed by Iceland at 86%. The comparison uses the same country profiles as the country match on your 12 Axes result.