All scrubbed up, with a polling day in mind
A divided Green Party may have more to lose than gain by staying out of government, writes Jody Corcoran
WITH the Green Party still divided on whether to take the next step on government formation, two important events last week should be noted: one, Angela Merkel made a timely and important intervention, and two, Leo Varadkar visited a Traveller halting site dressed in medical scrubs.
The intervention of Merkel, the German Chancellor, in the climate action debate, saying she wants a green recovery in Europe from the coronavirus crisis, can be taken as the carrot; and Varadkar’s latest setpiece in political ‘spin’ — he cannot help himself — can be taken as the stick.
Let us start with Varadkar. The Taoiseach let it be known recently that he had rejoined the medical register and had offered to work shifts, when time allowed, helping the health service during the coronavirus crisis.
For this he was widely praised. And coming on the back of his address to the nation on St Patrick’s weekend and management of the crisis in general — although questions grow — no doubt the Taoiseach’s selflessness has contributed somewhat to Fine Gael commanding 34pc popular support in an opinion poll conducted in late March.
That said, the act of selflessness was confirmed last month in a sort of frustration that the news had somehow managed to leak out: “I won’t be giving regular reports on it and there won’t be any photo-ops,” he said. “It will just be something I am doing quietly once a week for the duration of the emergency.”
Then last week he was photographed by one of his Fine Gael colleagues, in scrubs and face mask, at a halting site in his constituency and the image was posted on Twitter with the message: “This sends out a really positive message.”
Within the body politic, however, the message was that Varadkar remains in election campaigning mode. The Greens should take note.
An argument can be made that the Taoiseach should indeed be widely praised for his decision to rejoin the medical register at a time of crisis, after an absence of seven years. All hands to the pump. But let us not forget, for whatever reasons, just 54 healthcare staff out of the 73,000 people who answered the recruitment drive ‘Be On Call for Ireland’ have so far received positions.
Be that as it may. What is important to remember here is that not all superheroes wear capes, but that some wear scrubs and gowns…
And Leo Varadkar was last week presented as a superhero, not quite in the mould of, say, Kevin Boxer Moran who even after he lost his seat in the recent election was still lugging sandbags to the floodplains of the Shannon, but a hero all the same, and one with the interests of the marginalised in our society at heart to boot.
It will not do to be too cynical. A middle-ground argument can be made that like all modern day politicians — look at Donald Trump — he remains in permanent campaigning mode.
However, coming on the back of Simon Coveney’s assertion to the Fine Gael national executive the week before - he was at it again last week - that Fine Gael had nothing to fear from another election should the government formation process flounder, a plausible argument can be made that by allowing himself to be photographed and the image published, the Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader is at a minimum still contemplating another run to the Aras should the Greens baulk at entering government.
Summer election, anybody? Shortly after the worst excesses of the lockdown have been lifted, people running and ‘lepping’ like released winter livestock, unable to holiday abroad, therefore home to vote, Leo the Superhero riding high in the polls, and not long until the pubs reopen?
Now let us turn to Angela Merkel. As discussion continues on Ireland after the lockdown and the economic circumstances to come, sight seems to have been lost on where the real decisions will be taken, in Europe.
Last week, speaking at a virtual climate summit known as the Petersberg Climate Dialogue, the German Chancellor said governments should focus on climate protection when considering fiscal stimulus packages to support an economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
Her contribution feeds into a wider debate as to whether industries such as airlines with a large carbon footprint should benefit at all from the minimum €1tn packages, or whether such benefit should be firmly attached to commitments to reduce that footprint.
The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also told the conference that there could be an opportunity for the world in these “dark times” of Covid-19. “The restart can lead to a healthier and more resilient world for everyone,” he said.
The Green movement has been at moments similar to this before: the mood music is always made to sound good, but will the reality follow through?
In a way, that is where the Greens are in Ireland, too. The response by Leo Varadkar and Micheal Martin to their 17-point demands to enter talks sounds reasonable to good, but will the follow-through be delivered?
The likelihood is that yes, climate and biodiversity action is inevitable, but the charge will be formed and led at a European as opposed to national level.
So the only way to shape that debate is as a Cabinet minister representing the country in Strasbourg and Brussels.
This is what Eamon Ryan and his colleagues must consider as they continue to mull over entering talks on government formation, that clicking sound behind them the door to a wood-panelled room being locked, from the outside.
And the alternative facing the Greens, should they baulk at talks? Middle-class voter opprobrium and, as real a prospect as any, Leo the Superhero swooshing off down to the park for a chat with the President.
‘The Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader is at a minimum still contemplating another run to the Aras should the Greens baulk’