After the Storm
In the second part of the Hot Press interview, An Taoiseach Brain Cowen talks about his political influences, the fall out from the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty and more...
Jason O'Toole, 20 Nov 2008
When Brian Cowen came to power in May this year, there was little sign of the impending storm that has recently engulfed the financial markets. Cynics might suggest that the incumbent Taoiseach Bertie Ahern saw it coming earlier than most and decided to make an exit while the going was still relatively good. Brian Cowen, in effect, was left to clean up the mess.
Within a matter of months of becoming Taoiseach, Cowen was firefighting. Inevitably, as a result, the recession into which the country has been plunged, and the turmoil which has followed, were the main topics in the first part of the Hot Press interview with the most powerful man in Ireland, published last issue. But the exchange, which took place over two lengthy sessions, covered a far broader canvas. Here, then, is An Taoiseach in less embattled mode...
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has been giving you a hard time with what are probably best described as jibes.
He’s the leader of the Opposition – it’s an adversarial system. I don’t mind the attacks. I think they’re predictable. Fine Gael still can’t hide their disappointment at not winning the last election. In Opposition, they are simply opposing everything – even though they are claiming we should have a responsible budgetary policy, they won’t support any of the individual decisions that have to be made to bring that about. That’s fair enough, if that’s the way they want to play it. I think people can see through that sort of double-talk. In the last election, we all put forward a programme based on the economy growing by 4% per year – that’s no longer relevant now. It’s a new situation we’re in and it’s my job now to manage the situation as it is – not like they or I would like it to be. We had that political battle back in 2007 and we emerged the victors. People supported us, and what we have to do is gain their support again in the future by doing what’s necessary in the present new situation.
On the subject of the electorate rejecting the Lisbon Treaty, it must have been very frustrating to start your tenure as Taoiseach on such a negative note?
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