Haughey Wins His 4th Term as Ireland’s Leader

Charles Haughey, the man known as the “Houdini of Irish politics,” was elected his country’s prime minister for the fourth time Wednesday, nearly one month after snap national elections in which his center-right party was rebuffed.

Haughey won by an 84-79 vote in the Irish Parliament in Dublin after his Fianna Fail (Soldiers of Destiny) party surrendered one of its most cherished principles by agreeing to relinquish two Cabinet seats to the rival Progressive Democrats as part of a formal coalition pact.

Three times previously Haughey has served as head of minority governments, winning the tacit support of his rivals despite his refusal to concede Cabinet posts to them. But this time the rivals refused to budge, and Haughey, 63, was too weak politically to face them down.

Haughey had called last month’s snap election in hopes of gaining the extra two parliamentary seats that Fianna Fail then needed for a ruling majority. But the move backfired when, instead of gaining seats, his party lost four.

The fact that Haughey not only backed down on the coalition principle but also ceded two Cabinet posts to a party with a total of only six parliamentary seats was seen in Dublin as reflecting Fianna Fail’s fear that it would lose even more ground if forced into yet another general election.

Badly Scarred

Independent Irish analysts said that even though he managed to win a new term Wednesday, Haughey has been politically scarred by the sequence of events.

“I think his own position has been damaged,” said University College-Dublin political scientist Brian Farrell, who predicted that Fianna Fail would enter Ireland’s next election with a new leader.

Haughey’s agreement with Desmond O’Malley’s Progressive Democrats is theoretically to last four years. However, the parliamentary majority they enjoy is razor thin, and there is a history of bad blood between the two men. O’Malley formed the Progressive Democrats three years ago after breaking with Fianna Fail in rebellion over Haughey’s autocratic leadership style.

The new government is expected to continue Haughey’s recent economic policies, keeping tight curbs on state spending in order to hold down inflation and reduce Ireland’s burdensome national debt.

However, the Progressive Democrats did win a pledge that the government will attempt to reduce Ireland’s top personal income tax bracket by well over half, to 25%, by the end of its term. It also pledged to reduce the waiting time for surgery that has developed because of past cuts in spending for the national health service.

Both those moves are expected to put upward pressure on Ireland’s unusually low corporate tax rates, implemented in order to draw industry and increase employment opportunities in the country.

O’Malley was named Wednesday night as minister for industry and commerce in the 15-member coalition Cabinet. His Progressive Democratic colleague, Robert Molloy, was named minister for energy.