The Greening of Ireland

After protracted negotiations following our recent General Election, Bertie Ahern stitched together a deal with the Greens which they ratified last night at a special convention. So this afternoon he was elected Taoiseach (prime minister to you lot) for the third time in succession, an achievement which makes irish political history and makes him the longest-serving head of government in the EU. So our new government is made up of Bertie's Fianna Fáil, the Greens and the Progressive Democrats (PDs, who were his partners in the previous two administrations). They'll have the support of a number of Independents, all of which probably means that the new lot will run their full five-year term.

It looked a bit touch and go last weekend when the Greens walked away from negotiations, but concessions on both sides brought about the deal which led to today's vote when the Dáil (parliament to you lot) re-convened. Details which have emerged suggest that the Greens have gone a lighter shade in order to get their ministerial cars, but we can only hope that their influence will still dilute some of the PD-inspired excesses of the past few yyears (especially in the area of 'law and order').

p.s. It was only after uploading that I realised that this is my quarter-century blip. Another milepebble on the blip road.