Elaine Loughlin: Michael McGrath gets promotion, but Micheál Martin is the real winner

By elevating the finance minister to Europe and promoting Jack Chambers, two potential Fianna Fáil leadership rivals, Martin has put himself in a position that ensures he will be the one who decides his next political moves

At the start of this coalition, most inside the party would never have imagined Micheál Martin remaining on as leader longer than a year, let alone an entire government term. Picture: Stephen Collins/Collins 

Michael McGrath may be getting a promotion to Europe, but Micheál Martin is the real winner out of the European shakeup.

Since March, three of the top five positions in Government have been vacated, with Leo Varadkar and Eamon Ryan both relinquishing power and McGrath being elevated out of office, and yet Martin is the great survivor.