COMMENT: Fine Gael wonders what Enda Kenny will do with his mojo
A mojo is a magic charm or a talisman or a word to describe putting someone under a spell
Bruised and battered by a tough few months, Enda Kenny went away for the summer and rediscovered his mojo.
“I’ve got my mojo back,” the Taoiseach toldNewstalk yesterday morning. Later he arrived at the Fine Gael think-in in Kildare and asked reporters: “Does anyone see any mojo around here?”
By definition, a mojo is a magic charm or a talisman or a word to describe putting someone under a spell. In Mike Myers’ ‘Austin Powers’ trilogy it was a reference to the protagonist’s sexual prowess.
Helpfully, Kenny later defined his mojo as his “zeal for life and politics”.
He’d clearly lost it over the course of the first half of this year after a bruising election and three failed attempts at becoming Taoiseach, before a government was finally cobbled together in May.
Thepartnership government with independent TDs has since gone through several serious wobbles and still teeters on the brink of collapse at any moment because of the numbers.
Perhaps because of this the talk in Fine Gael circles centres on Kenny’s future. He has said he’s going before the next election, but some are agitating for a change as soon as possible given we’ve no idea when that election may happen.
Kenny appears oblivious to this. Using his mojo, he put us under a spell of sorts by talking yesterday not of his future but of his mandate and the nearly 600 commitments in the programme for government that must be fulfilled.
In the context of answering questions aboutjunior minister John Halligan’s future, Kenny suggested that he could undertake a ministerial reshuffle next year.
“My mandate is one that I am not going to walk away from and I will of course reflect on the make-up of the government and the ministers of state next year and that’s part of my responsibility also,” Kenny told reporters.
Fine Gael ministers, TDs and senators were left to wonder what exactly it was he was contemplating doing next year.
Many we spoke to at the think-in were of the view that it was not credible proposal. “There may well be a reshuffle, but he won’t be doing it,” a backbencher remarked.
It is impossible to see how Kenny could move ministers in and out of jobs without his own position becoming almost untenable. It would be akin to Brian Cowen’s botched reshuffle in 2011 that ultimately forced his resignation as Fianna Fáil leader.
As they mulled over Kenny’s comments yesterday, TDs and Senators were presented with the findings of two reports into its election and what steps the party should take in preparing for the next election.
Both reports, one from academic Marion Coy and another from a group of Fine Gael backbenchers, identified several failings, including poor communications and a lack of engagement with members.
Recommendations of the TDs’ report include giving all elected and area representatives a daily one-page briefing document informing them of what the party is doing, as well as giving the media better briefings.
Among many other recommendations are avoiding negative campaigning, stress testing of party slogans (‘Keep the recovery going’ proved disastrous), post-cabinet briefings for the parliamentary party, an overhaul of candidate selection processes and two party-wide meetings every April and September.
But aside from the need to implement all these seemingly positive changes, it’s also glaringly obvious that Fine Gael needs a new leader.
Many would argue that the sooner that happens the better.
Except, it seems, for Enda Kenny who has his mojo back and won’t be afraid to use it in the months ahead.
