Coalition crisis - Tánaiste left most bruised by struggle

POLITICAL expediency, cooler heads and common sense have finally prevailed to save the crisis-ridden Coalition.

At a time when the average person has to confront major social, housing, health and financial problems, newly appointed Progressive Democrats leader and Tánaiste Michael McDowell has balked at the hurdle of leading his party out of government. Ironically, he will now be more damaged in the public mind than Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, leader of Fianna Fáil.

Psychologically, the Justice Minister emerges from the controversy over the Taoiseach’s murky financial affairs with his ego badly bruised and a question mark over his leadership qualities. Clearly he has lessons to learn from his PD colleague and erstwhile party leader, ex-Tánaiste Mary Harney about the Byzantine intricacies of negotiating with a Taoiseach noted for his incoherent style, congenital reluctance to tell it as it is, plus his endless obfuscation and ambiguity.