Katherine Zappone Envoy Gig

I think Coveney still wants the top job but yeah would agree that this latest episode has damaged him badly, he had a good record up until now. If he wants it though he is going to have to move at some stage in the next 6 months, his deadline is December 2022 when the role of Taoiseach reverts back to FG so he'd want to have his ducks lined up in a row by next summer at the latest.

The other side of it is that FG actually needs a change of leader if they want to win elections. Varadkar has proved himself useless at this and if your leader doesnt know how to win elections then the party will end up in decline. Take a look at Varadkars electoral record

-2017, lost the leadership vote among the membership who overwhelmingly wanted Coveney 65%-35%

-2019 lost the local elections to Fianna Fail

-2020 lost the General Election to Sinn Fein and only got elected himself on the 5th count, i.e. even his own constituents are getting sick of him which is a very a bad signal for him nationally

-2021 lost the DBS by election, something that was easily winnable had he put forward the right candidate, yet another cock up by Varadkar. He literally snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and got beaten by Ivana Bacik of all people

So the fact of the matter is Varadkar doesnt know how to lead his party to election wins, which is kind of important when youre a party leader. If Varadkar leads FG into the next election it will go no different to the 2020 version except to return an even worse result. Mary Lou will wipe the floor with him in the debates and the campaign again just like she did last time out.

People forget that when that 2020 election (which was held at a timing of FGs choice) they were running high in the polls (32%) but then the campaign got under way and three weeks later FG tanked and ended up on 21% while while SF surged to beat them into third place. That result is all on Varadkar and it happened because he is a useless campaigner and a useless debater under pressure.

Nothing is going to change on that score at the next election, the main difference is that even more people than ever will be sick of the sight of him. When his own constituents dont let him top the poll while he is a sitting Taoiseach you know there is a serious underlying problem there. Sitting Taoiseachs are expected to top the poll, Enda Kenny did it, Bertie did it, Bruton did it,Albert Reynolds did, Haughey did it but Varadkar? Nope, elected on the 5th count showing that he isnt even popular in his own backyard. So if FG dont get Coveney into the leadership position then the next election for FG will be Varadkars fifth election loss in a row because losing elections is literally what he does.

Wonder how he knew?

Maybe the text the day before would have tipped him off to the mysterious event?

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He knew there was an event in the Merrion yes so what's your point? Where is the conspiracy? If you have any additional information please share it. If not its speculation and not sure that's allowed here.

Didn't know about the job?

Are we back to this nonsense?

Your friend you are close enough to, who wants to see you at an event or who 'or 😎 see you at the event and a separate time' mentions a new prestigious job and you just say 'nope'????

Are you having a laugh Ha?

The rational explanation was he knew what the reminder was and knew about the job but didn't know about the details (the 'anything') that were being finalised on the Wednesday.

If he had no idea, why or how did he formulate the fecking question to Coveney about the fecking job.

Jaysus. 😁

Because she asked him in the message. This is fairly basic stuff to follow in fairness.

He didn't ask Coveney the next day though did he? That's just made up another piece of fiction from you.

Why did he ask SC if he knew anything about the appointment a number of days later when you are implying he was privy to this previously?

You are inventing a story that does not exist but if you have proof please provide it. If not its disingenuous at best.

Again this is basic stuff he knew from this text. Not exactly a stab in the dark is it?

The FFG supporters on here have some Chutzpah. Why do they continue to defend Leo and Co when deep down they know we are right.

Zappone was clearly waiting for the 'finalising' of the job and that was the 'anything' she was enquiring about.

Never mind the very obvious clues that they are close-ish friends, even if she was a casual acquaintance, the fecking Tanaiste of the country's only reply to finding out for the first time (allegedly) that she had been appointed to a UN role was 'nope'?

Absolutely bizarre people are asking us to believe that.

That puts it all in a nutshell. One hell of a deflection but I expected nothing less.