December 23, 2003. Copyright, 2003, Graphic News. All rights reserved

Profile of Irish premier Bertie Ahern as he prepares to take on EU leadership
By Joanna Griffin

LONDON, December 23, Graphic News:  When Ireland takes over the rotating EU presidency in January, Brussels should be able to relax. In Taoiseach Bertie Ahern they have a figurehead who has been around the block a few times when it comes to Europe, and whose country knows well the benefits of membership.

But it has not been all plain sailing for Ahern. His government narrowly avoided humilation in 2002, when the Yes camp pulled off a slim victory in a second referendum on the Nice treaty on EU enlargement. There had been fears that the Irish might repeat the No vote of 2001 to attack Ahern, the onetime ÒTeflon TaoiseachÓ on whom the mud was beginning to stick.

For much of this political career it seemed Ahern could do no wrong. Born in 1951 in a working class area of Dublin, he trained as an accountant at the cityÕs University College and at the LSE. In 1977 he was elected to the Dail (parliament) as a Fianna Fail candidate, and eventually took over the party leadership from former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds in 1994.

By then he had shown considerable skill in surviving the fall of his infamous mentor,
Charles Haughey, who once described him as Òthe best, the most skilful, the most devious and the most cunningÓ. After victory in the 1997 general elections, AhernÕs Fianna Fail formed a coalition with the Progressive Democrats. In May 2002 polls he almost led his party to an overall majority.

Ahern is neither a gifted orator nor a visionary, but he is a hard worker who has an easy rapport with ordinary people that is founded in his own down-to-earth personality. Ahern prefers to spend an evening in the pub with friends than to drink champagne at society parties. He is a lifelong Manchester United fan, and spends his holidays in Kerry. So popular is he that the public even forgave him for leaving his wife, Miriam, for former partner Celia Larkin.

To many ordinary Irish, he remains a key architect of the milestone Northern Ireland peace agreement, and AhernÕs signing of the 1998 Good Friday document was undoubtedly his finest hour. However, unionists say the Taoiseach is guilty of double standards by expecting them to share power with Sinn Fein at Stormont while ruling out that possibility at the Dail.

BertieÕs recent troubles have much to do with IrelandÕs coffers. Rising unemployment and
a spiralling national debt have led to planned cuts in health and education. His perceived financial incompetence is epitomised for many by the abandoned Stadium Ireland project.
The government poured millions of euros into ÒBertieÕs BowlÓ and then abruptly pulled out. The Taoiseach has also been tainted by a corruption scandal involving former ally Ray Burke.

Looking forward to his turn at the EU podium, Ahern promised to focus on mending relations with the United States. Given the countriesÕ historic ties, he might have been expected to pull this off. But it now seems the Taoiseach will have to put this aside while he tackles the infinitely more complex task of rescuing stalled negotiations on the EU constitution.
/ENDS