12 The Sunday Times May 17, 2020 COMMENT ESTABLISHED 1822 Eoin O’Malley Politicians must step up to the Greens can grow by front line and restart economy focusing on a vision he immediate steps taken to ing on pubs, hotels and creches, in clear “flatten the curve” of the coro- contravention of the guidelines. The fine navirus were correct and weather last Saturday also brought people enjoyed wide support. The level out in their droves with little evidence of of fear generated by the news social distancing in the most popular emanating from Italy and Spain walking spots. Party will prosper as small partner in coalition by being in tune with voters in March made it relatively easy Part of the issue is that the public can for the Irish government, acting see the daily infection statistics for them- taoiseach is meant to have the that weren’t compatible, possibly because rubbing them out, conceding on any Ton advice from the National Public Health selves and wonder why the government is “vision thing”. It’s what gets them up Mansergh was on the left of Fianna Fail. reasonable demands, and are generally open Emergency Team (Nphet), to close down not moving faster. The original belief was in the morning, and brings people Though Reynolds had proposed the to offers. the country’s economy, education system that it was because of the Department of with them to places they wouldn’t privatisation of two state-owned banks, he Why, then, is it only the Greens who are and social life. Reversing those decisions Health’s failure to put in place a timely test normally go. The vision is meant to agreed to set up a third state-owned bank to willing to talk? Well, it’s probably due to the was never going to be as easy, but there is and contact-tracing system. Tony Holo- be in tune with the times, correctly compete with the two dominant players. pervasive myth that smaller parties always get diagnosing the problems we feel, and The subsequent Fianna Fail-Labour punished for going into government. There are widespread acceptance that it must be han, the chief medical officer, denies this, prescribing solutions that not only partnership government introduced many certainly many examples of this, as the Green done in carefully measured steps to stating that testing and tracing would have Awork, but that people believe will work. policies that wouldn’t have been seen as Party knows better than most, having been ensure the sacrifices made by the public no effect on reopening the country. Yet, if Whoever gets the job of taoiseach next, Reynolds’s priorities, such as the wiped out in the 2011 general election after a are not wasted. we enjoyed a system as thorough as the assuming the government formation talks decriminalisation of homosexual acts and four-year stint in coalition with Fianna Fail. From tomorrow, the first phase of a South Koreans or the Germans, we would produce a coalition, won’t have the “vision other liberalising law reforms. It was There is an assumption that Labour was planned five-stage reopening process be much further down the road towards thing”. If media reports are to be believed, Labour’s vision. hammered by its decision to go into the only real dispute between Fianna Fail Now Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have issued a government with Fianna Fail in 1993. True, comes into effect. Up to four people who restoring normality. In assessing the right and Fine Gael has been about whether similar invitation to the one Reynolds sent out Labour was punished when it announced the don’t live together can meet outdoors if time to ease the lockdown, the Germans Micheál Martin or Leo Varadkar gets to be in 1992, but this time the small parties are initial decision, dropping five points in the they maintain social distancing recom- set a target of 4,000 infections a day. On a taoiseach first. reluctant to take up the offer. Labour had polls. But once that government was formed mendations; a limited number of outdoor pro-rata basis, that would be about 250 in The draft document that Fianna Fail and expressed annoyance at noises from the and it made progress on the Northern Ireland sporting activities can take place; shops Ireland. Excluding the rogue figure last Fine Gael produced as a basis for talks with government that public sector pay deal peace process and a slew of issues central to that are primarily outdoors can resume Thursday, the last time that 250 cases was smaller parties, principally the Greens but also commitments were untenable. So Martin and Labour, the party climbed back in popularity. the Social Democrats and Labour, was an open Varadkar wrote to Labour on Tuesday In November 1994, at the height of the dispute operations. Other select activities, includ- exceeded was on May 6. Since then the invitation to set a vision for the government. promising to honour those pay deals. Despite between Reynolds and Spring about a ing car repairs and opticians, can return daily rate has ranged between 107 and Just in case the smaller parties needed a hand, this, the Labour leader Alan Kelly again said controversy that would bring down the to work. Far and away the most significant 236. The infection rate, the R0 number, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael plundered their that government formation was up to other government, Labour was on 22% — a point decision is the reopening of construction has been below 1 for several weeks. election manifestos for ideas: develop the parties. The Social Democrats got a ahead of Fine Gael. Labour lost support later, sites, however, which raises questions The government has retained the pub- cost-rental model; a single-tier health system; commitment from Fianna Fail and Fine Gael when it was in government with Fine Gael a green new deal; no increase in student fees; to ring-fence funding for Slaintecare, one of and Democratic Left, for reasons no one has about the logic behind this first phase of lic’s confidence to date, mainly by follow- and many others. The smaller parties could their stated priorities. Still, the Social firmly established. reopenings. ing medical advice. But advice is just that. have drafted the document themselves. Democrats announced they were “not Some of the subsequent Labour losses were If the intention is to take baby steps, At some stage the politicians are going to There are parallels in the recent past. In interested in the business-as-usual approach of probably inevitable after a big jump in seats. construction should be among the last, have to redress the balance between November 1992, after Albert Reynolds failed in a Fianna Fail-Fine Gael coalition”. Many of Labour’s 1992 intake were shocked at not first, activities to resume. Somehow medical concerns and economic reality. an attempt to get an overall majority for Fianna In fact, the draft document of the two big their election and didn’t take to full-time the government believes it is safe to allow Irish governments have history when it Fail, it seemed his political career was over. parties is far from business as usual. Usually politics. And when you’re in fashion politically, Rivals who had been sidelined when Reynolds government negotiations start with red lines. it’s inevitable you’ll lose some of that sparkle, thousands of construction workers to comes to outsourcing their responsibili- took over as leader of Fianna Fail were circling, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have been busy whether in government or not. move back on site, but is not allowing ties. From the late 1980s onwards, social sensing he was mortally wounded. A bit like in Governing does contribute to losses. The most small shops to reopen, even though partnership reigned supreme, as trade 2020, this was someone else’s election. Just as “cost of governing” is the closest thing to an they are in a much better position than unions and business groups were given Sinn Fein captured the mood in February, the empirical law in political science. Around the construction companies when it comes to the run of Government Buildings. A Labour Party caught it in 1992. Its platform had world, governing parties lose on average five been the so-called liberal agenda, more percentage points. Big parties lose too, as Fine managing movement. We are sceptical decade ago, the International Monetary openness in government, and a backlash Gael knows from this year’s election. about construction industry claims that Fund, the European Central Bank and the against crony capitalism. The cost of governing may be a price that social distancing guidelines will be European Commission, aka the bailout Afterwards, Labour leader Dick Spring had a small parties such as Labour — already on the respected, but builders have always had troika, took control of the Department of choice of potential governments to support, edge of oblivion — can’t afford to pay. But it the ear of government in this country, and Finance, giving the government cover for but was hardly expected to pick Reynolds, assumes small governing parties are always this is one more example of their power. introducing harsh austerity measures in whom he had spent the entire election damaged by governing. The Progressive campaign excoriating. Reynolds got lucky, When you’re Democrats did well out of government; it was Construction aside, the largely con- the wake of the great financial crash. Now though, since Spring didn’t like the Fine Gael opposition that didn’t suit them.