Irish Examiner view: The Greens could be the coalition fall guys
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Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman admitted this week that there was “constant conflict” around the cabinet table when it came to ambitious climate action plans. He also said he hoped there would be a place in government for his party after the forthcoming election.
His concerns might on the surface appear to indicate over-anxiety about the Greens’ future, but there are already signs that both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are not particularly keen on having them as junior coalition partners if at all possible.
The subject of specific concern for both Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin seems to focus on infrastructural development and both have made pointed references in recent times on the slow development of a number of projects seen as necessary and immediate national needs.
While addressing housing and health issues will be a definite priority for any oncoming administration, the provision of investment in Ireland’s infrastructure is also necessary because, as the Taoiseach said last week, the lack of it is becoming a “drag” on our competitiveness.
While not pointing directly to the Green Party for being at fault, he pointed out at an Ireland/US summit at the American ambassador’s residence that it was time “to cut through bureaucracy and other things that stifle the delivery” of infrastructure.
He highlighted “infrastructural deficits”, many of which have emerged during a decade of extraordinary economic and population growth, as factors which could ultimately be detrimental to the Irish economy.
It has been obvious for some time now that fragmented planning and inefficient delivery have dogged potential economic growth. Whether or not it is correct to point the finger at the Greens for even being party to blame for this, it seems certain now that they could become the political fall guys.
Having skirted a dip into recession by announcing that its GDP unexpectedly grew in the third quarter of this year, Germany’s economy is still perilously balanced.
With employment figures stagnant and widespread fears that Europe’s biggest economy would contract for a second quarter, the government in Berlin — already on shaky ground with the electorate — is walking an economic tightrope.
The economy expanded by just 0.2% in the third quarter compared with the previous three months, despite expert analysis predicting a 0.1% quarter-on-quarter decrease in adjusted terms.
But with unemployment rising more than was expected through October — up by 27,000 against the expected 15,000 — German chancellor Olaf Scholz is on thin economic ice ahead of next year’s federal elections.
The claim this week that Volkswagen — one of the traditional pillars of the German post-war economic miracle — is to shutter three factories, lay off thousands of workers, and cut pay by 10%, will not be welcome news in Berlin.
That claim was made by the company’s works council, effectively the union representing VW workers, citing information it had received from management.
Such cuts are much deeper than was expected from the Wolfsburg automotive giant, which is known to be fighting poor sales and a slow take up in the electric vehicle market.
According to the works council chief, Daniela Cavallo, not only will VW be closing factories as well as cutting staff and pay, but it will also reduce production capacity at remaining plants.
VW’s situation reflects a broader malaise across the German economy where there are growing fears of mass unemployment due to a crisis in manufacturing which will see the loss of tens of thousands of jobs and real terms pay cuts of up to 18%.
The car maker has said that to return to competitiveness, it would axe its 30-year-old employee protection agreement as part of efforts to save upwards of €10bn.
VW’s troubles are emblematic of the wider issues facing Germany and which will reverberate across Europe were the economy there to hit stormy waters.
Wednesday marked the 50th anniversary of one of the most significant sporting events the world has ever witnessed.
On October 30, 1974, what was labelled ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’, a fight for the heavyweight championship of the world between reigning champion George Foreman, and the challenger, Muhammad Ali took place in Kinshasa, Zaire.
It was a story for the ages, with the hugely popular Ali seeking to regain a crown that had been unfairly stripped from him, mainly because of his principled stand against the Vietnam War and his outspokenness against racism.
His talent, along with his charisma and indignant righteousness made him an icon for millions across the globe and a beacon of hope for subjugated peoples everywhere.
In 1960s America, Ali was a lightning rod for controversy and he paid a heavy price for his opinions.
He was indicted, tried and convicted for refusing to join the army, and faced a five-year jail term; he was also stripped of his World title and banned from the ring for three years. When he returned to the ring he was beaten by both Joe Frazier and Ken Norton, two defeats he later avenged.
By then a new boxing king had been crowned — Foreman. His professional record stood at 40 fights, no losses and 37 knockouts, including both Frazier and Norton. In the first round Ali tested Foreman at long range, but in the second he retreated to the ropes and began to absorb terrific punishment.
Experts were astounded Ali would take this ‘rope-a-dope’ gameplan, but it worked and by round seven Foreman was drained from his unsuccessful efforts to knock Ali out. In round eight Ali caught Foreman with a shot, which he later claimed if he’d hit him with it in the first round, the champion would have recovered. As it was, he was too exhausted to drag himself off the canvas.
Ali regained his crown and the world rejoiced.