Presidential Election 2025

I knew this thread would dry up once I left. Not because there is nothing more to be said (some posters here actually believe that 😫).

Last week, Ivan Yates lifted the rock covering the media/politics nexus which no one in Leinster House wanted to discuss (one poster here thought accused me of "whataboutery" for making the same point😥).

Fionnán Sheehan today highlights the fury in FF which has not abated after the Gavin Calamity. My guess - the much-anticipated FF report is delayed because MM doesn't like its recommendations, first among them being to take future nominations out of the leader's hands. FG may have to follow suit and give their members a genuine choice. FF (and FG?) might even give their local councillors free rein with Presidential nominations. Roll on 2032!

Fionnán is wrong to say Simon taking Finance is a sign of MM's weakness (though there are ample signs elsewhere). On the contrary, it is a sign of Simon's insecurity i.e. Simon was afraid to give the job to anyone who could unseat him so he left a job he actually wanted and seemed to enjoy.

But Fionnán is right to say Simon's move could cause serious problems for the coalition. Firstly, Simon should have stuck with Foreign Affairs to run the EU Presidency next year. Helen McEntee just doesn't have the political weight to handle the big dogs in Brussels.

Secondly, Simon will only have Finance for two Budgets which means we will have had five Finance Ministers in as many years.

Thirdly, the job of the Finance Minister is to say no to the over-spending Departments. Paschal can be blamed for almost doubling😳 total public expenditure since 2017 with very little to show. But he was fortunate that revenues were buoyant apart from 2020 (COVID). Simon's future now depends on him flashing the cash for FG Ministers but he must treat FF Ministers equally if he wants the coalition to survive.

Of course the battalions of Political Correspondents and assorted media experts were caught completely unawares by Paschal's move to the World Bank. Just like when Leo went, and Eamon too and when Heather retired (oh, no wait….). And the pundits were just as useless about the general election (contrary to all the media, FF won, FG had its worst outing ever, the Greens were all but wiped out again). And who in the media got the referendums right? Of course none of those media geniuses have a clue about the World Bank/IMF. Paschal could have won an Oscar for all they could tell us.

Sadly most of the opinions expressed here are on a par with those expressed by media pundits. And ideas run out when the circus moves on.

A lot more qualified than Simon, but that's saying nothing much

this is the kind of rubbish that made me leave Boards.

I just wrote a lengthy post on a series of issues entirely related to the results of the presidential election, but this is your response!