By NiallO’Dowd

IRELAND has a new Tanaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Michael McDowell, who has just been named leader of the Progressive Democrats, the minority party in the government coalition.

He is also minister of justice and a controversial politician who has made many bitter enemies for himself in recent years in Irish politics as well as firm supporters, especially on the right.

His rise to power comes at a critical time in Irish politics, with a general election bound to take place either in late spring next year or early summer.

Opinion polls at present show the Fianna Fail/Progressive Democrats coalition in a near dead heat with the opposition Fine Gael/Labor Party combination, with many smaller parties, such as Sinn Fein the Greens and several independents also in the mix. It is all to play for, and the appointment of McDowell is now a surprise that will add even further intrigue.

Unlike his predecessor Mary Harney, McDowell is a “hot” politician who regularly embroils himself in controversy and creates a love him or hate him mentality. He has been a bitter adversary of Sinn Fein, and in recent months has become identified with strong new anti-illegal immigrant laws.

Given his reputation for controversy, McDowell’s appointment could play either way at a time when political opinion is equally divided.

Ironically, McDowell was due in the U.S. this week to study crime fighting techniques as part of his drive to lower Ireland’s booming murder rate but was forced to cancel because of the leadership issue.

Violent drug related crime is very much on the increase in Ireland and will be a major election issue. How McDowell handles it may well help determine how successful the government is.

McDowell’s appointment came in the wake of the surprise resignation of Harney, who had led the Progressive Democrats since 1993.

The party was founded by dissidents within Fianna Fail in 1985 and quickly established itself as a party of the right, calling for tax cuts and cuts in government spending.

Harney herself, however, managed to soften the aggressive right wing stance of the party. A gifted politician who was a protégé of former Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Jack Lynch, Harney excelled as Minster for Enterprise and played a leading role in the job creation boom, which has created the Celtic Tiger.

In recent years Harney has seen her political fortunes plummet as she took over the thankless job of minister for health at a time when Ireland’s health service is in perpetual crisis.

Nonetheless, at the relatively young age of 53, her decision to resign as party leader and Tanaiste is a major surprise, especially with an election just over the horizon.

For Taoiseach Bertie Ahern the change comes at an awkward time for a politician known to loathe surprises.

Amazingly, after a decade in power Ahern has managed to avoid the political doldrums politicians such as Tony Blair and George W. Bush find themselves in. Indeed, a recent political poll showed Ahern is still the major asset that the current government as they face into the upcoming election.

Doubtless the new relationship between Ahern and McDowell will be parsed and analyzed endlessly in the Irish media, especially as the election draws near.

It is all to play for in Irish politics, and the appointment of McDowell adds an intriguing new factor into the midst. How it plays out remains to be seen. Ultimately, the voters will decide.