Did Cowen have a good week?

Brian Cowen

Well, as I mentioned during the week, we finally saw some action from Brian Cowen this week, albeit action that I have fundamental disagreements with.  Which brings us to the question of whether this week of action was a good week for Cowen, and by extension the Government.  Certainly, Shane Coleman thinks so in the Tribune today (though a quick trawl of their website doesn’t display any results for such an article).  For those who haven’t seen it, below is the opening paragraph, which pretty much sums it all up:

Credit where credit is due.  Despite more bad news on the economic front, it was a good week for the Taoiseach.  It would be premature to say that the last seven days have been the making of Brian Cowen, but it’s no exaggeration to say that, had they gone badly, they could have been the breaking of him….

And the article goes on in a similar vein, congratulating the Taoiseach for showing:

the cojones [to] do what was required to address the crisis in the public finances

Which is all very nice and lovely for oul’ Brian.  Except I’m not buying it really.  Sure, Cowen’s speech to the Chamber of Commerce was very good on Thursday.  Indeed, it was the best speech he has delivered in recent months – confident, passionate and with a good, solid streak of leadership.  But it’s worth remembering that it was a speech to the Chamber of Commerce, and not one intended for public consumption.  There was just one journalist present – Harry McGee, and if the Chamber hadn’t recorded it, then Harry’s column would have been about the end of it!

Cowen’s performance in the Dáil on Tuesday was appalling – he was mumbling and far from passionate, as he read out the public service levy (which incidentally, will now only raise €900Mn when tax relief is provided, as opposed to the €1.4Bn promised), and he was eviscerated by an Eamon Gilmore on top form.  And while he was somewhat better in the subsequent press conference, it was only on Thursday that we finally saw some genuine leadership.

Which leads me to wonder if he was just more comfortable slipping back into the Chamber audience who knew him so warmly as Finance Minister, rather than actually being refreshed and ready for the challenges ahead, as Coleman so clearly implies today?

There is of course another factor which will decide judgement on whether Cowen had a good week or not, and that will be the response of the public sector unions.  Shane Hegarty interviewed my Da regarding the cuts during the week, and I have a feeling he was right in saying that the unions will be wary of striking for fear of further alienating themselves.  But Cowen’s situation could get more and more uncomfortable if that proves not to be the case….