Maroc - EURASIAREVIEW.COM - A la une - 24/Jan 00:51

Micheál Martin Becomes Irish Prime Minister For Second Time

By Nicholas Wallace (EurActiv) -- Ireland's parliament, the Dáil, nominated Fianna Fáil's Micheál Martin as prime minister for the second time on Thursday. Martin was supposed to be nominated Taoiseach on Wednesday. However, opposition parties, angry about speaking-time rules for pro-government independents, shouted over the speaker, Verona Murphy, forcing her to suspend the Dáil and delay the vote. To break the impasse, the government agreed to renegotiate the Dáil's procedural rules. Martin's Fianna Fáil is the largest political party in the Dáil. The party struck a coalition deal with its old rival-turned-partner, Fine Gael, on 14 January, along with a loose formation of largely conservative independents. The centre-right politician has served as Taoiseach once before, between 2020-2022, during a previous coalition between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Greens. Musical chairs, round two The new coalition deal, like the old one, requires Martin to resign part-way through the government's term and to pass the baton to the Fine Gael leader – currently Simon Harris, the outgoing Taoiseach. The agreement sets 16 November 2027 as the date for Martin to step down. The agreement followed a general election on 29 November, which extended Fianna Fáil's lead in the Dáil. Fine Gael came third, behind the left-wing and nationalist Sinn Féin, the largest opposition party. The Greens were almost completely wiped out, forcing the other two parties to find a new third partner to secure a majority. Though nominated by the Dáil, Martin remains only Taoiseach-elect until President Michael D. Higgins formally appoints him. Martin will visit the president's official residence, Áras an Uachtaráin, later in the day to receive the appointment. Martin will then officially be Taoiseach, replacing Harris. After that, Martin will appoint ministers and return to the Dáil with his cabinet for a final vote on the new government. Donohoe returns Eurogroup President Paschal Donohoe, a Fine Gael TD, is expected to become finance minister once again, while retaining his Eurogroup role. Donohoe served as finance minister during 2017-2022, then relinquished the job to Fianna Fáil's Michael McGrath, under the terms of the previous coalition agreement. McGrath left the government last year to become the EU's justice commissioner. Before the two parties first entered into a formal coalition after the 2020 election, Fianna Fáil propped up a minority Fine Gael government during 2016-2020 in a "confidence and supply" deal.