Government by desperation

The demeanour of the Taoiseach in the Dáil yesterday spoke volumes more than his carefully scripted speech during which he thanked the Labour Party’s contribution to the coalition government, even though Fine Gael’s former partners voted against his nomination.

In contrast to the confident figure when first elected in 2011, Enda Kenny looked somewhat cowed and it would have been hard to tell from his speech or his features that he had just made history by becoming the first leader of Fine Gael to be made taoiseach for the second consecutive time.

While his acceptance speech was thoughtful and engaging, it was delivered without passion or energy. At times, the Taoiseach looked a beaten man. As Ruth Coppinger of the Anti-Austerity Alliance put it, “I’ve never seen an incoming Taoiseach look so unhappy.”