Greenshoots of old politics begin to rear their heads

World of Politics with Harry McGee  – harrymcgee@gmail.com

The weekend marked a milestone in this political cycle – even if the 100 days since February’s General Election seems more like 100 years. This week saw glimpses of the ‘old normal’; some businesses and construction sites opening, a 30 per cent increase of traffic on the roads compared to the previous week – and a good old-fashioned political row between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

When an emergency hits, everything is put into suspension. The Government trying to steer us through the emergency hears no dissent in the ranks, or in any other ranks.

Given their prominence, it’s not surprising that Leo Varadkar and Simon Harris have done so well in voter satisfaction ratings. That’s not to be churlish or empty. I think both will look back at this period as among their finest hours as politicians.

That’s not to say there haven’t been mistakes – none more so than nursing homes or the 15,000 a day testing promise that turned into a saga. There have been shortcomings in meat processing plants and in some hospitals.

But overall, the emergency has been handled well and the dramatic drop in cases and deaths this week is a testament to that.

The row had its roots in the reality that the post-election landscape bears no relation to the conditions that led to the Sinn Féin surge in February, and almost consigned Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to the rubbish dump.

Fine Gael, as you would expect, is riding high in the polls – but that upsurge in support is a temporary phenomenon that will dissipate once the emergency comes to an end.

Sinn Féin is more or less holding its own – maybe a few points down since the beginning of the year.

The real bad new relates to Fianna Fáil. It is neither government nor is it opposition and that limbo situation has led to its poll ratings plummeting.

That’s why Fianna Fáíl is desperate to get into government – or at least the faction loyal to Micheál Martin is.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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