The ‘incredible shrinking president’ takes spotlight off Cowen

ALTHOUGH the twitters were tweeting and YouTube was in overdrive, letting the whole of Europe know that our Taoiseach and his team had a tipple at a confidence-raising event in Galway, nobody apparently mentioned it to him at last week’s summit in Brussels.

Afterwards the Taoiseach received the media against a blue backdrop, framed by EU and Irish flags, ready to answer any questions put to him. It was a stand-up briefing – designed to discourage long, probing questions from journalists.

Scrubbed, shining, with a new haircut and bright tie, he completed the profile of a reformed Taoiseach with a smile and shake-hands for the press.

Beside him stood Foreign Minister Micheál Martin, looking a little stressed from the responsibility of minding the Taoiseach. They rattled off their account of the meetings with their EU counterparts in clear voices.

Mr Cowen answered the parts of the follow-on questions he wanted to, leaving out bits like if he intended to reform his social life. Instead he concentrated on his all-inclusive style of cabinet management. Perhaps it was a coded message to the front bench and the backbenchers that if he went, they would come too.

The leaders of the 27 countries that make up the EU are a motley lot. The longest serving is Luxembourg’s Jean Claude Juncker, well known for his fondness for a relaxing glass of wine over lunch or dinner. And in fairness his press conferences afterwards do not suffer. There is little slurring or muttering – just the occasional cryptic remark, jibe at an anonymous colleague or outspoken opinion.

France’s “incredible shrinking president” – as the Economist dubbed him over the disappearance of his liberal reflexes and his rapidly dwindling economic reform programme – hogged the show completely. He decided attack was the best method of defence in light of his obviously illegal moves against the Roma.

Before the meeting started he sat alone in a dark mood but when German Chancellor Angela Merkel entered he jumped to attention. They spoke animatedly through an interpreter.

Afterwards he swore to journalists he had her full support – and she too was going to expel the Roma in Germany. A horrified Germany issued strenuous denials on Merkel’s behalf three times in the following 12 hours.

Sarkozy does not appear to drink much and neither does another character he is increasingly being likened to – Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi. He supported his friend Nicolas and got rid of Roma too – after finger printing them.

This was a trick they learned from the Irish who three years ago expelled several on the basis they had applied for asylum – something nationals of one EU member state are not entitled to in another member state.

Both Berlusconi and Sarkozy of course do not care about the Roma or the fact that a quarter of them were exterminated in Nazi concentration camps during the war.

The far right party in Sweden could well find themselves in power after the election yesterday, having conducted a populist xenophobic campaign.

Let’s hope that when Ireland’s election comes, the only issue will be the economy. The Taoiseach was pleased his fellow EU leaders did not put him under the spotlight, as the agenda was usurped by the Roma.

Hopefully the Irish public will not fall for something similar, but will concentrate on all aspects of the economy – who to blame, how to change and how never to let it happen again.