The words of Jonathan Swift should have been echoing in our ears last week as we anticipated both the Budget and the latest EU Council meeting: “Expect nothing and you will not be disappointed.” In both cases, the expectations far outweighed the outcomes. In the

WHAT is it about this Government and appointments? Last week it had to endure the indignity of seeing its efforts to have Kevin Cardiff appointed to the European Court of Auditors stumble at the first hurdle. If the Government succeeds in getting the process back

‘It’s the economy, stupid,” has become one of the most famous political phrases of the past few decades. It is attributed to James Carville, the motor-mouthed political strategist who helped mastermind President Bill Clinton’s 1992 bid for the White House. While it still has some

As we watch the developments in Greece and the pressure being applied by Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy on Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou and the Greek government, we should reflect on the fact that one year ago, it was us in the firing line.

If you told me a month or two ago that Fianna Fail would come second in the Dublin West constituency I would have thought you were mad. In fairness, I would have had some evidence for that belief. Back at the general election in February,

By this day next week we will know who our next President is. Despite the polls in recent days, I remain convinced that the outcome is still uncertain. There has been considerable volatility in the polls in recent weeks, with voters seriously considering almost all