Election reflections
The big story of the election is Fianna Fáil's performance. The RTÉ exit poll has the party on 41.6% (similar enough to their 2002 performance) and Noel Whelan predicts they will end up with 78 seats, six seats short of the 84 required to form a government. The deplorable Blueshirt-Stickie partnership has received a frosty reception from the people and even with the Greens on board will also fall short. The smaller parties and independent candidates have had a rough time. Socialist firebrand Joe Higgins lost his seat, a real loss. Dr. Jerry Cowley, who championed the rights of the people of Rossport and Eris so ably in the last Dáil, also lost out. Sinn Féin have performed poorly enough and their high-profile candidate, Mary Lou McDonald MEP, crashed and burned in Dublin Central. I have never understood why the party decided to stand her ahead of Nicky Keogh. It was clearly the wrong decision and Tony Gregory (who held onto his seat) has just said as much on RTÉ.
I am delighted that the so-called "Progressive Democrats" have been hammered in this election. They returned just two TDs; former leader Mary Harney and Noel Grelish. Party leader Michael McDowell who had a bust-up with John Gormley in Ranelagh recently lost his seat to Gormley in Dublin South-East and quickly announced he was quitting politics. A good thing for politics in this country, good riddance to bad rubbish.
The coming days will be interesting as Fianna Fáil flirt with both Labour and the Greens. Of course if Noel Whelan is right and they win 78 seats, FF may be able to form a government with the support of independents, bypassing Labour and the Greens. I have mixed feelings on this; I don't want FF to be in power on thier own and I think Labour or the Greens would be a positive force in the next government. At the same time if left-wing parties continue to cut deals with the establishment parties we will never have a united and powerful Left in this country.
Some interesting days ahead.
lenfercestlesautres said...
I want you to know that I just heard in the German radio that the Irish election system is "extremely complicated".
10:03 AM
JG said...
There is no doubt about that!
11:42 AM
Chris Gaskin said...
JG
This election proves that when ever a party goes into government with Fianna Fáil they become their mudguard. A junior bogeyman they can blame when the shit hits the fan.
Look at Labour in 97 or PD's today
7:14 PM
JG said...
I wouldn't disagree with you, Chris, but what should Labour/Greens do now; go into opposition and rebuild the Left (giving FF an effective monopoly in government) or go into coalition with FF and get their hands on the levers of power?
7:26 PM
Chris Gaskin said...
That depends on weather they want short term or long term success, I know which I would prefer.
11:48 PM
JG said...
Yeah. That's also the way I would lean. Labour has a lot of old skins who want a taste of power before they retire. As for the Greens, I think it could really damage them. There are likely to be rocky times ahead economically, it may be wiser to let FF take the hit. A small party like the Greens could end up like the PDs; finished.
12:05 AM
Bob Fitzconner said...
Frank was talking with John Gormley on Friday evening before the final result. Met him in Tesco. Said Gormley was not hopeful at that stage. Looked like a broken man, or at least a very ill one. Two hours later, Gormley was re-elected and McDowell was gone.
2:25 PM
JG said...
Yeah, I noticed Gormley wasn't at all confident. Even after he won the seat he didn't seem particularly happy, as though he could hardly believe it.
3:21 PM