The Green Dilemma
The prospect of Fianna Fail and the Green Party arriving at agreement with regard to the formation of the next Government will lead to the members of the Green Party passing a defining judgement as they cast their vote this weekend. Would a position in government dilute the party principles irrevocably or would it cement a central role for the party in any future Irish political landscape? Since its foundation in 1981 (as the ecology Party of Ireland) the Green Party has been vocal in what it stands against, can it now voice substantially what it stands for?
In 2005 the party decided at its national convention that any pre-election pact would represent a compromise of principles and result in a loss of votes from the left, particularly transfers and the youth vote. It now stands at the maelstrom of government and may have to adopt a less principled stance on a range of issues if it is to make its core policies a feature of this government. It is a long road from aspiration to reality. Power may come at a price as many, from elected members to grassroots, have indicated resistance to a power sharing arrangement with Fianna Fail. Not to mention the prospect of sitting with the Progressive Democrats of whom John Gormley said pre-election ‘the Green Party won't touch with a barge pole'.
Should they decide to inhabit ‘Planet Bertie', the credibility of its leader Trevor Sargent would rightfully be called into question; he clearly never foresaw the current scenario as anything other then a hypothetical question to be countered by anti-Fianna Fail rhetoric. If he is to remain faithful to his promises, thus stepping down as party leader whilst perhaps simultaneously taking a seat at the cabinet table, it would make a mockery of his pre-election stance.
It is simply not feasible that the differences that exist between the two parties concerning taxation, economics and health could be resolved without the Greens performing a subservient u-turn, not to mention the party abandoning its position with regard to the use of Shannon airport by the US military, a stance which has attracted many to the party.
It would appear that in order to govern, the party would have to be neutered; to do so willingly would be a flagrant betrayal of the electoral support the party garnered. Sargent and Gormley may find their place within the party untenable if they attempt to sell a deal with Fianna Fail and the PDs to its members, and if the members were to vote in favour it is likely that for all the scaremongering and sanctimony that polluted the air over the last few weeks, the party would be exposed in Government as a rudderless entity.
The aim of political parties is of course to govern, but the Green Party as it stands would be unable to partake in the realpolitik of state. They will need to devise a more expansive range of policies and take a step back from loudspeaker politics if they are to play a more meaningful role. This election could yet deliver them into the corridors of power in future years, but it is a long road from aspiration to reality.