I’ve only managed a very cursory read of the programme for government, because of deadlines, and I do intend to post something more substantial about it later this week, but my initial feelings are mixed. There is some good stuff in it on political reform, but there seems an awful lot of “reviews” and open-ended stuff that makes me think that if the coalition think that they can get away with avoiding any serious action on it, they will.
Andrea, my partner-in-crime over at www.election2011.ie thinks it is a good document, but then she holds politicians in much higher regard than I do. I don’t think they’re inherently evil, I just think that they regularly need to be shown the whip to keep them in line. Political reform is, I suspect, going to be one of those areas where the crop will need to be kept close to hand.
On the positive side, you have to be impressed with the clockwork mechanism we have now developed for assembling governments after elections. I remember watching, wth other pol hacks, the sheer terror on the faces of British political journalists last May when they realised no one had won an overall majority. It was really very funny as they talked about the pound collapsing, etc, and I remember thinking: “Either British politicians seriously overestimate their own importance, or Britain as a country is far more unstable than Ireland. Or Belgium, for that matter. Or Italy, even.”
Of course, it all turned out to be balls. But then, Britain wouldn’t be the first country to have politicians who overestimate their indispensability.
Additional note: I don’t hold out much hope for serious political reform when I hear RTE describe replacing Garda ministerial drivers with civilians as “political reform”.
3 thoughts on “Enda and Eamon deserve the benefit of the doubt. For now.”
Good to see that awfully nice chap Enda getting the full treatment in Brussels
A press conference, dropped into a special meeting of European Council Heads of Government to discuss Libya & (a pause while all Irishpolwonks wipe themself down) a phone call from Barry Obamal.
Good going for a second class politician whom no-one had even heard of until the Irish Republic found it had a set of new paymasters
It is also a great pity that the attention paid to Mr. Kenny did not extend to getting the correct photograph set in place for the Press corps, as the one in place didn’t really do him justice, it being a photo of Victor Garber, who played shipbuilder Thomas Andrews in the film of the Titanic.
I don’t recall reducing the President’s term from 7 to 5 years being high on anyone’s wish list during the election. And actually think it’s a bad idea. There’s a good point in having a president whose term is specifically longer than any Dail or government. Keeps it less political.
Good to see that awfully nice chap Enda getting the full treatment in Brussels
A press conference, dropped into a special meeting of European Council Heads of Government to discuss Libya & (a pause while all Irishpolwonks wipe themself down) a phone call from Barry Obamal.
Good going for a second class politician whom no-one had even heard of until the Irish Republic found it had a set of new paymasters
It is also a great pity that the attention paid to Mr. Kenny did not extend to getting the correct photograph set in place for the Press corps, as the one in place didn’t really do him justice, it being a photo of Victor Garber, who played shipbuilder Thomas Andrews in the film of the Titanic.
Delicious irony, donchathink ?
Kind regards
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I don’t recall reducing the President’s term from 7 to 5 years being high on anyone’s wish list during the election. And actually think it’s a bad idea. There’s a good point in having a president whose term is specifically longer than any Dail or government. Keeps it less political.