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TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR has no plans to take a top job in Europe after this election and wants to lead Fine Gael from the opposition benches.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie’s general election podcast The Candidate, the Fine Gael leader said he thinks he performed best on last night’s RTÉ election debate with Micheál Martin and Mary Lou McDonald.
Varadkar said he doesn’t believe his party is heading for a 2002 election result, adding that he thinks Fine Gael will get the most seats.
EU top job
“First of all that is not going to happen. The opinion polls are within the margin of error, we’re all within 5% of each other. And I believe we will emerge as the largest party after this election. But to answer your hypothetical question, if that’s not the case and if we’re in opposition, I will seek to continue to lead my party and assuming I’m elected as a TD in Dublin West, I will continue to represent the good people of Dublin 15 and Dublin 7 who have trusted me with their vote.
“I have not ever been offered any of these wonderful jobs in Europe that people speculate about, I don’t think any of them are available until 2024 anyway,” he said.
There has been speculation in political circles that Varadkar will have no interest in sitting in the opposition benches, with suggestions that he would be interested in playing a role in Europe, perhaps around Brexit.
Last year, Varadkar said he was “flattered” to be linked to the role of the new president of the European Commission but said at the time that he plans to stay put in Ireland as Taoiseach.
Varadkar again ruled out any coalition with Sinn Féin, stating that he could not see a scenario after the election where he would go back to his party and ask the membership if they would consider or approve the two parties in government together.
“No, and I can’t. The party is unequivocal about this, as I am, that we won’t entertain a coalition with Sinn Féin for reasons we have explained,” he said.
When put to him that some ministers, such as Regina Doherty, have stated in the past that she would be open to working with the party, he said she did not mean entering government with Sinn Féin.
“That is not the same thing. I am willing to work with them too, and I have in Northern Ireland and on Brexit and we will work with them on issues. The only people talking about going into government with them, into coalition are Fianna Fáil TDs, all over the country,” he claimed.
Varadkar said that Martin will go into government with Mary Lou McDonald, because it is his last chance to become Taoiseach.
I think he has to. If push comes to shove, because this is his third time, leading Fianna Fáil into a general election, it is his last chance to be Taoiseach. There might be a merry dance for a few weeks and months before it happens.
But I believe he would do it. And he’s already getting signals from all over the country from his TDs that they are up for this. I’m getting the opposite, which is no way, don’t even entertain this. So Fianna Fáil is divided on this, my party is united that we would rather go into opposition then help Sinn Féin go into government.
Martin has repeatedly ruled out any coalition with Sinn Féin and denied his party members are open to the idea.
A last resort
Who would he go in with?
“My preference is of course, is, is a coalition with people we’ve worked with in the past like Labour and Independents and people I think we could work with in the future like [the] Greens and maybe the Social Democrats. But I have said that in a last resort scenario, in order to avoid an unnecessary second election, that we’d be willing to work with Fianna Fáil in those circumstances and I think that’d be the responsible thing to do.”
He said it would not be “desirable” but something he is willing to do.
Does Varadkar see himself standing side-by-side with Micheál Martin in government after Saturday’s vote?
“I certainly hope not,” he said, adding that he intends to lead a new government with some of the smaller parties. “I hope that is what the people decide to do on Saturday,” said Varadkar, adding:
I really loving this job and I feel I am only getting started.
https://soundcloud.com/the_candidate/we-catch-up-with-taoiseach-leo-varadkar-leader-of-fine-gael
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Fine gael – The party of plans and promises – But no solutions. e.g. Health, homelessness, pensions etc. etc….. The only thing that they succeed in is failure.
Fianna Fáil – The party that bankrupted the country and indebted future generations in order to bail out private institutions, that now are allowed to pay no tax by Fine Gael.
Sinn Féin – Excellent costed policies to reverse the pension debacle, abolish the unfair home tax (LPT), rent freeze, money back for renters, huge public building program, tackle homeless in a meaningful way and many other policies that will aid the irish public and not the Multinationals etc. etc…
Let the people with the money pay the taxes. They get their wealth off the back of society.
@John O’Hara: Sinn Fein – IRA hurler-on-the-ditch political party with an active parmamiliary wing.
@John O’Hara: sadly the people of Ireland will re-elect ffg. Maybe if the media wasn’t so bias SF would get a decent chance (Yates, Coleman, O Callaghan, Cooper etc)
@Dan2078: Serious question. If you vote SF, who runs the country? SF or the army council? Their stance on the central criminal court suggests someone in the background is pulling strings.
@Dan2078:
It’s like trying to win a game of football, when the ref is blatantly biased against you. But the Irish people seem to be wising up….
@C:
You mean the way billionaires, O’Brien etc, pull FG & FF’s strings. What have the public gotten out of that..?
@C: as you know, they are only running 42 candidates and you need over 80 to have a majority government. Its unlikely a left government will be formed so if they are in government they will be junior coalition partners. So I would imagine the banks and vested interested will continue to have a large say. Does that answer your ridiculous question?
@Ordinary lad: you sound desperate, guess you FG trolls will be out of a job soon
@C: if you have evidence please contact the proper authorities , if not you are talking rubbish.
@C: well our overpaid civil servants will still be running the country, but at least SF will have an input and maybe even pull a few of them into line!
@John O’Hara: I hope so John but prob need to wait a few more years. Still a lot of oldies out there who think ffg are fine upstanding pillars of the community
@C: is that u Leo?
@Ordinary lad: Congratulations, Lad. You are the one millionth user of the most over-flogged phrase of this election. In order to process your prize gift, we will need your bank account number and sort code.
Your forever friendly Prince of Nigeria.
@Ordinary lad: blue shirts !!!!!! DUP buddies!!!!
@John O’Hara: Excellent costed policies? Pull the other one there John. SF reckon increasing the vacant site levy to 15% will bring in €107 million, it took in €800,000 at 8% last year. Where are they getting the extra €106 million? I’ll tell you where, out of the land of make believe.
@Dan2078: get the excuses in early why don’t you. Blame everyone else. There are intelligent people who can see through this bluff. Not everyone has been hoodwinked.
@Giller: and the intelligent people will vote for …. ffg? If that’s what the ‘intelligent’ people do god help us. Or maybe u enjoy being taken advantage of
@Dan2078: il willing to take my chance with a party that is democratic. They may not be the best but at least they are not run by an army council who have no regard for the rule of law.
@C: so who is pulling the strings at Amnesty international, United Nations and Civil liberties Ireland. All have called for SCC to be abolished.
@Paddy Kennedy:
You’d know, you seem to be good at making stuff up……
@John O’Hara: whatever you on it has affected your judgment
@Giller: democratic thats a funny one
I would roughly translate that as a call to the EU for help.
He will be gone in a heartbeat.
@Justice Mickey: pllllllleeeeaaaasss just go Leo. The institution for failed politicians in Brussels will surely stick you on another one of their Gravy Trains, if you want!
Seems he’s finally listening to the electorate and accepts he’s going to lose…
@nothing witty: yep..but that still doesn’t get in the way of what he perceives, as many in FF do as well, as their entitlement..
Michael Noonan has started campaign to get rid of him already before we vote I wonder what rest think of him!
@Andrew O Grady: yes I read that earlier that he wants Pascal to lead FG. Everyone was too busy with the IRA deflection. Jobs for the boys. The cartel that wont be broken
@Brian Madden: if we only look at pensions been paid out to former ministers and TDS , we will realise why we pay so much taxes and why the established parties don’t want change it’s scandalous little ireland
@Andrew O Grady: of course. They cosy up toi the bank, bail rte and media outlets out, have big business in their pockets and as soon as anybody tries to challenge them all hell breaks loose. The people in the street are starting to see through it. Saturday’s election will be very interesting
@Brian Madden: the beauty is the young people are so educated today and can see through these false promises crocodile tears from the establishment give me another go please !
@Andrew O Grady: that’s the way it’s going. As the years go by the IRA will be mentioned less at elections and the younger generation are not voting for FFG in high numbers.
@Brian Madden: the war is long over and guns are silent, just move on what went on was wrong hopefully never to be repeated again !
@Andrew O Grady: And those who used the guns should NEVER be allowed to have authority in this state.They murdered Gardai and soldiers serving the people of this country. How anyone who has a shred of respect for democracy contemplate voting for them is beyond me and many other voters. When SF leaders and followers can condemn these acts without equivocation and the party expels the perpetrators from their membership then and only then will they be fit to govern.
@Brian Nolan: there elected to both sides in north ,
@Brian Nolan: Hang on, FF were smuggling guns in 1970.
@Andrew O Grady: True – as part of a compromise peace treaty between two warring factions, (there’s nothing normal about the arrangement in the North it’s just the best that can be done with the communities in question), but that does not mean they’re fit for office here, either side. Also, the civil war ended in this state in 1923; why was the IRA murdering Gardai during robberies in the 1990′s? Why will SF not condemn this? It speaks to their respect for democracy that they can’t say that those who carried out these acts or facilitated them were criminals and should not be members of their party.
@Cormac Laffan: And should have went to jail for it then too.
@Brian Nolan: Ah yeah, forgot about the old “collapsed trial” trick.
Not sure anyone paid for it in the end.
@Andrew O Grady: You must be having a laugh. Young people can see no further than the clock on the wall. They will vote for whoever mammy and daddy tells them and get back to their 25 hour days
@Michael Lynch: I’d be very surprised the days of voting for the party one parents voted for is gone so much choice and with social media they are connnected to what’s been promised before and what wasn’t delivered
@Brian Nolan: what about the Germans.
While I have nothing to substantiate this, I just know we will see Leo get a top job in the EU in the next 10 years – and was probably promised it during the Brexit saga.
@milton friedman: the EU may be in a too precarious position in 10 years
For all EU leaders it’s always been standard practice to deny EU job ambitions.
Leo the liar
@P Quinn: FG party are packed with liar’s as is FF
@Margaret Kane: and SF with their former leader telling everyone he was not a member of the IRA
Don’t let FG & FF scare you away from doing the right thing.. Using poor misfortunate families to prop up their collapsing vote.
They don’t give a damm about mrs Quinn or anyone, unless there’s an election going on. All they want is the gravy train, then we can all die on hospital waiting lists, for all they care or do about it.
@John O’Hara: You’re right, I certainly won’t be considering this or the SCC when I vote on Saturday.
As Bill Clinton said; “it’s the economy stupid!”
@Cormac Laffan: my apologies for correcting you but it was actually Clinton’s chief strategist, James Carville, who said it.
@Charles Alexander: Thanks Charles, didn’t know that, it’s a great line.
@Cormac Laffan: it got Clinton elected in ’92.
Don’t think it’s enough for Leo – we seem to have an electorate that vote with a conscious as opposed to their pocket and perhaps that’s the way it should be.
Certainly, the polls imply that but the actual vote may say something completely different.
When it comes to Saurday it may be just about the economy!
He’ll have no job shortly
@Bitcoin Buddy: he could have a job. Mary Lou has said she’d go into coalition with them, thereby keeping Leo, Pascal and all the lads in top jobs. Nothing will change. Or she might go with FF so Michael, shotgun Willie and others who bankrupted the country will be back.
@Bitcoin Buddy: !!!!!
Leo Varadkar has nits…. Pass it on…
No chance of a FF/FG coalition this time Leo. You won’t have the numbers, even between the two of you. This is going to be FG’s worst ever election. Half your ministers aren’t even going to get reelected.
Data Murphy watch out, it might be your job he wants…..
So if the Republic used the same method as the North to count homeless people where do you think our figure would be? 100,00? 200,000???
that’s compulsory speak before getting a big eu job
I think him and Michael are on the way out. Yesterday’s men. Brendan as well. Long knives out already for Leo!
If you looked at his last night i would be very suspicious.
@Dave Barrett: is that because the ffg presenters were not impartial?
As the poppy wielder. Long live British wars
Would you believe anything LV says?
He might get a job in the Private Suits in the New Children’s Hospital
Any chance we could have a couple of parallel polls in the next day or so?:
1. “Who will you vote for on Saturday, if you have the vote”?
2. Who would you vote for on Saturday, if you had the vote (under 18, EU national, non-EU national, don’t live in the RoI)?
@Connachtabu:
I would expect the result for (1) would be as follows:
Sinn Fein: 35%
Fianna Fail: 20%
Fine Gael: 15%
Greens: 15%
Labour: 5%
Soc Dems: 5%
Others: 5%
They are ALL liars ! It just depends on which liar you are going to vote for !
Liar Liar pants on fire. Not i nterested! Lol
He is a EU lapdog of course he’s going to get a big EU job.
Every lapdog gets their treat.
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