FF finding its place in odd political landscape

FIANNA Fáil was back in the familiar territory of the RDS in Dublin 4 at the weekend for an Ard Fheis which found its delegates in ebullient humour, though understandably a little puzzled. Long gone are the days when they were either the ‘party of government’, or the ones waiting out their time on the sidelines to go back into government. So-called ‘new politics’ has confused everyone, especially party grassroots stalwarts who get their fix at the annual conference.

So, is Fianna Fáil an integral part of Government? Or, a visceral critic of the current Fine Gael-led Coalition? The bad news comes in the very unsatisfactory answer that it is neither one nor the other.

Propping up a government seriously limits opportunities to castigate and condemn it. Against that, the opinion polls tell Micheál Martin and his senior colleagues that they are close in ratings to Fine Gael.

When you consider the “new boy bounce” of Fine Gael leader and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, and the lack of Opposition chances to hammer the Government, that is not bad news at all.

Nobody in this State’s history has faced such a political configuration as we have now. Fianna Fáil is trying to stake out a place where public services are prioritised. Fine Gael appears set to champion working people who pay taxes and try to muddle through.

These may well be the battle lines for the next intriguing election.