Mandy Johnston: Leo’s plans hidden by weapon of mass distraction
YESTERDAY’S European Council meeting was a positive way to wrap up the year for the Irish Government and its officials. We now move toward phase two of Brexit negotiations with the backing of 26 other European member states to assert regulatory symmetry between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland post-Brexit.
What of the man at the helm who is spearheading Ireland’s efforts in Europe? Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s inescapable media presence means we know what he is doing on a minute-by-minute basis, but do we really know the man?
Is he a man of political substance simply utilising modern media to highlight the work of his Government? Or is he merely a weapon of mass distraction? A Taoiseach who camouflages his administration’s mediocrity by bamboozling us all with interminable positive information and pointless selfaggrandising pictures?
Objectively, ‘style over substance’ is a premature and blasé label that has been ascribed to his early leadership style. Granted, Mr Varadkar is a slightly shameless exhibitionist. Like most modern international political leaders, he is self-possessed of a new type of confidence which relies on theatricality and exposure.
However, the label of ‘style over substance’ is premature because Mr Varadkar’s record of achievement cannot simply be defined in just 185 days, no matter how fast the internet is propelling his prolific profile.
In a short space of time, Mr Varadkar has a number of successes to point toward. Carving out a strong position for Ireland during the first phase of negotiations on Brexit is no small achievement.
He is presiding over the strongest economy in Europe and as Ireland edges towards full employment, Mr Varadkar now needs only to keep Ireland’s economic recovery going. More importantly, he must extend it beyond the east coast. Relationships with the Independents in Government and the confidence and supply agreement with Fianna Fáil have been managed relatively well, albeit with a small hiccup that nearly spelled the end of this Government courtesy of the Maurice McCabe debacle. Frances who?
From a wider perspective, however, his short, medium and longer-term political ambitions and plans remain extremely hazy.
Despite his own workmanlike attitude to ruling, there is no feeling of permanence or long-term planning to his Government. Instead it presents an image of a Government in constant campaign mode rather than actually governing.
If the pace of the pack is determined by the leader, then a lot of the perception of transience is down to the Taoiseach’s own leadership style.
He needs to keep a close check on the oversharing and, more particularly, on the amount of taxpayers’ money dedicated to keeping us all informed.
This is a Government that has singularly failed to get its arms around our homelessness and housing crisis. Similarly, in relation to the management of our health service, the capacity and the maladministration issues that permeate through the service are escalating rather than declining.
To date he is unsullied by the political responsibility of such failures. Despite being a senior member of two Governments that have singularly failed to deal with either matter, his personal satisfaction rating is constantly rising.
Many important political issues are only ever analysed in a fleeting way before the next tweet or photocall comes along to move the debate onwards. Like US President Donald Trump, Mr Varadkar and his team have the capacity to move the agenda on quickly while other political parties languish behind in their slip stream. Nothing to see, quick look over here.
His media strategy in the main is working out well. Occasionally, though, his social media posts are somewhat jarring. Particularly when the real-life problems of “ordinary people” are juxtaposed against the glamorous settings of some of his less-than-pedestrian backdrops. Like that time when he was flying back from some far-flung destination and filmed himself on the Government jet. Or the time he began inexplicably lamenting the lack of banisters to slide down in Number 10 Downing Street.
Then there are the relentless references to his fitness regime. Operation “make mortals feel inadequate” continues to drive us all mad. Not content with jogging alongside world leaders, he recently turned up in Government Buildings wearing an outfit straight out of a 1970s Jane Fonda fitness video. Contrived, silly-season photo opportunities have produced a new kind of naffness – in that respect Mr Varadkar’s social media efforts never fail to disappoint.
The value of social media is in its immediacy and its directness. The instant hit of attention is a prised instrument for politicians. More importantly, it allows them to completely bypass traditional media.
The tactics are certainly working if recent opinion polls are accurate.
Despite many of us laughing up our sleeves at antics that make Mr Varadkar seem like a cross between Action Man and ‘Where’s Wally’, his personal opinion ratings have increased in recent opinion polls. He and Fine Gael are both garnering popular support from his can-do attitude and straight-talking shtick.
With the benefit of hindsight, we can reasonably assume that Fine Gael was in possession of these positive ratings during the most recent instalment of the McCabe saga.
They also knew that Donald Tusk was about to ride into town like our knight in shining armour with crucial support for
Our electorate has always enjoyed a rather unusual and somewhat distant relationship with our political leaders. Mr Varadkar’s style of leadership has changed all of that
Ireland’s position on Brexit. Therefore, the prospect of an election did not frighten him. Forcing Fianna Fáil to shoulder the responsibility for calling a general election would have delivered the ultimate Christmas present. Alas, it was not to be.
ENGINEERING a persona of audience entertainment has never been an integral part of becoming or remaining Taoiseach in Ireland’s history. Our electorate has always enjoyed a rather unusual and somewhat distant relationship with our political leaders. We like to know enough so that we are informed, but not too much to be classed as voyeurs.
Mr Varadkar’s style of leadership has changed all of that. For now, he remains narrowly defined by his predilection to share aspects of his life as Taoiseach that the public may never have seen before. He is the type of celebrity politician who could not have existed even half a decade ago; born of an internet age and essentially a product of it. In doing so our new Taoiseach endeavours to give people what they want before they even know they want it.
Conversely it is also a deliberate attempt to stretch right above the mainstream media to engage an audience directly without the filter of any external or editorial interpretation to hamper his exploits. And who can blame him when people’s private selves are receding in favour of contrived public personas? It’s the way of the modern world.
Mr Varadkar would have us believe he has no private persona at all, but entirely exists as a public figure. His master plan is simply to hide in plain sight.