Irish General Election (February 8th 2020)

[DC Al Fine]

Why did FG want an early election that they are likely to lose?

They were polling better then?

They called it in the immediate aftermath of Black and Tangent, taking time to lecture the plebs on their lack of nuance in the process.

The defining characteristics of FG are - and always have been - arrogance, snobbishness, and sheer incompetence. Remembering that explains most things about them.

How do you vote IE?

[DC Al Fine]

Who is going to provide the necessary 8+ votes for FF/FG to pass legislation? Or will that change on a case by case basis?

[DC Al Fine]

The position of Taoiseach will rotate though (Israeli model), in 2022 Varadkar is set to become Prime Minister again.

Many people doubt Bibi would keep his word, I read on the Haaretz newspaper there will probably be another election in 2 years time before bibi agrees to rotate with Gantz.

what does the cabinet look like?

Harris and Varadkar are the only two I can see definitely staying on. They won’t want to replace a fairly competent Health Minister, and Varadkar will want to stay on in an important position. He might actually prefer Foreign Affairs if it’s his international profile he wants to keep up.

Social media-obsessed chancer would be a more accurate description, but nevertheless he, along with Donohoe (finance) and Coveney (foreign affairs) will stay on - getting rid of him would be to admit that the performance portrayed to a domestic audience as world-beating was actually slightly better than mediocre (1,700 dead looks much better in comparison with the clownshow next door than it does when compared with other countries in the same situation).

The other likely FG ministers will be Humphreys (currently business, a woman and a Border Protestant) and McEntee.

Ugh that sounds waayyy too much like my country