WHAT MAKES BERTIE TICK?

Brace yourself for a media "Bertie-blitz" this weekend and next week as Fianna Fáil cranks up the PR machine to mark the Taoiseach's 10th anniversary as leader of Fianna Fáil on Friday.

Bertie Ahern will be coming at you from television, radio or print with an intensity rarely seen outside of an election campaign as the media tries to fathom the enigma of his personality and work out how a dishevelled workaholic from Drumcondra managed to become the most successful Irish leader of modern times. Like the Duracell bunny, Bertie's stamina has out-performed that of his competitors and seen off three opposition leaders since he became Taoiseach in 1997.

Power is addictive and the Taoiseach's bid for an historic third term shows he wants it as much as ever. But just what makes Bertie "tick" remains a mystery even to those closest to him. In other countries where there is a fascination with the make-up of political leaders, the academics go to work. Recently in the United States, social scientists and psychologists conducted a study of leadership to improve their understanding of the personal qualities that made great American presidents.

The results are published in: Personality, Character and Leadership in the White House (2004 Brassey's INC). The authors, two psychologists, Dr Steven Rubenzer and Dr Thomas Faschingbauer, present scientific evaluations of American presidents based on standardised personality tests compiled by 120 experts, including biographers, historians, former presidential advisers and other sources.

The study found that the most successful US presidents were "ambitious, intelligent, assertive and competent – but not necessarily straightforward or brimming with integrity". Those considered "good presidents" scored low on the scale of straightforwardness. They were more willing to "trick, cajole, flatter, bully or mislead to get their way."

Emotional stability was another personality factor used to assess effectiveness. On that scale, higher marks were awarded to presidents who were regarded as calm, relaxed, secure, well-balanced and able to see to the heart of problems. Washington and Franklin D Roosevelt are given as examples of such "emotionally hardy" presidents.

No such study has ever been conducted on the make-up of Irish political leaders, but the chances are that the Taoiseach would score highly on the emotional stability scale and that this is a crucial part of his success.

Apart from an uncharacteristic outburst in the Dáil some years ago, when he lost his temper with the former Fine Gael TD Gay Mitchell, calling him a "waffler"; a tetchy performance before the Mahon Tribunal earlier this year and a few cranky swipes at yours truly for asking impertinent questions, Bertie is the epitome of self-control.

In the Dáil, when the Taoiseach is under attack, journalists can see his knuckles turning pearly white as he digs his fingers into the mahogany ledge in front of him. It is the only hint of internal frustration they get because Bertie's expression conveys either one of amused bewilderment or long-suffering forbearance.

His ability to keep his head when all around are losing theirs could be best summed up by an incident four years ago when the Coalition Government was holding a special cabinet meeting in Ballaghadereen, Co Roscommon. Outside, 200 farmers were gathered with placards to protest at plummeting beef incomes.

As they left the meeting, the Taoiseach and his ministerial colleagues had to run a gauntlet of jeers and heckles. But unlike his ministers who used the backdoor to escape the full blast of the protest, Bertie came out the front door and walked straight over to the farmers. Within minutes, the jeers turned to cheers.

Shortly afterwards the Taoiseach was mobbed again, this time by cameramen and journalists. I hit him with a barrage of questions to which he responded as the cameramen reversed down the street in front of him. "Mind the bike lads," he said casually, in the middle of his responses, alerting us all to the front wheel of an abandoned bike ready to floor the backward-walking pack of TV crews and snappers.

None of us had noticed it. Bertie noticed the bike, alerted us to it, but never lost his concentration.

Staying cool and staying concentrated are central to Ahern's success, whether it's been negotiating national pay agreements with belligerent unions, a EU Constitution with 24 other member states or finding common ground with Ian Paisley and the DUP.

Ursula Halligan is TV3 Political Editor and Presenter of The Political Party, TV3, Sundays, 5pm.