Has President Higgins overstepped the mark?

See my last post.

We're only discussing this because of the Israel angle.

since the positions they take will be of a populist nature they know the majority of the public will accept

I think it is a good thing to have someone represent the country who can do so from a position more in tune with the majority of the public and without being constrained by what is the ultimate in 'Political Correctness'. Israel used fake Irish passports for its operatives to enter Dubai and murder someone. They are in no position to try to dictate to Ireland what is and what isn't appropriate behaviour.

Michael D. has only himself to blame for the utter confusion he has caused (which seems to be in his head) and the ridicule he has earned.

Here's the video of his first press conference. 

https://media.mediahuisvideo.be/hls/account=wY9sDZ8A_KcS/item=chpMkr3JBnMQ/version=202409222103_3/chpMkr3JBnMQ.m3u8?v=20240922210318_2

The President was asked a straight question - "Did you write to Nicolás Maduro congratulating him on his election?". He ducked and dodged for so long, the journalist gave up and referred to his letter to the Iranian which was criticised by some FG backbenchers. The President interrupted the journalist to say "Why don't you ask me where it came from" which naturally confused the journalist, who asks "the letter?", and the President says, "No, the criticism, how the letter was circulated by whom and for what purpose". Obviously, this was another diversionary tactic by a President who never gives a straight answer. He then waffled on about developments in Iran (no mention of weapons for Russia or Hamas/Hezbollah/Houthis of course) until the journalist manages to get a question in edgeways "what are your suspicions about the letter leaking?" (a perfectly reasonable interpretation of his cryptic comments). Then, the President jumps the shark - "That's for you to find out" - and another journalist (in disbelief!) says "why don't you just tell us" and the President says "The Israeli Embassy". When asked how the Israelis got hold of the letter, the President says "I have no idea". Naturally the journalists understood from that remark that the Israelis had obtained the letter surreptitiously which also implied that they had leaked it.

So we have the President blaming the Israelis for circulating his letter which the Iranians posted on X, and then, (re-enacting millennia of Jewish history) he blames them for defending themselves against the "leaking" libel which he helped propagate. And now his defenders here are shooting the (media) messengers. 

The video of yesterday's "fiery" press conference shows a car-crash where every journalists is incensed by his dodging and ducking. "Please just address the questions".

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/president-michael-d-higgins-says-it-was-improper-for-israel-to-comment-on-his-letter-to-president-of-iran/a2122835679.html

He gets to waffle on endlessly as a prerogative of his office but the UN General Assembly had enough of him after 5 minutes of his practised outrage. He is horrified that global military expenditure increased last year "by 6.8% to "$2.44 Billion". That is almost as much as the cost of our National Children's Hospital🤯. (Of course he should have said $2.44 Trillion but what's an extra couple trillion dollars when you are on Michael D. plane of consciousness?)

Iran support hezbollah who have killed Irish soldiers on peace keeping duties.
Yet you see no issue that our president wrote a congratulations letter to the Iranian president.

Think it is standard protocol stuff. Whoever was in the job would have done the same.

Given the Iranian president has a track record on dealing with Communists that would make General Pinochet blush it was surprising he was so effervescent but that's part of it too.

His mad conspiracy, dementia rant? about the Jews being behind it, that was just off the wall.

So we can assume from his waffle that he has indeed written his congratulations to Maduro. Is MDH planning something dodgy come next election like one of his penpals?

The only Israeli angle is utter bullssh1t from Higgins.

He made some tool of himself, and therefore the country, at UN interview; an utter embarrassment.

By some distance our worst president

So because you disagree with Israel's policy in Gaza, it's acceptable for President Higgins to wrongly accuse their ambassador of something else entirely? Would it be ok if he had wrongly accused, say Ukraine of leaking a letter he had "secretly" written to Putin, or is that different because you like Ukraine?

Secondly: never mind the country, do you really think it's acceptable for the president, whose role is ceremonial, to bring his personal opinions to play in international affairs? Shouldn't the government decide whether or not the president should write to the Iranian president, and if so, whether or not that should be made public?

Otherwise our foreign policy is decided by an elected monarch, not by the government.

(And one thing the British parliament is very touchy over is their monarch overstepping his role and fgetting into politics. Yet you're happy for Ireland, where the people are supposedly sovereign, to be LESS democratic than the UK?)

I don't like MDH's politics. He doesn't represent me. But the Irish citizenry decided to make him president, and that's what we have. He's not the first Irish president to enter the political arena as president. I'm happy enough to roll my eyes every time he embarrasses me. I wonder if his supporters will do the same when somebody on the other side of the political spectrum is elected? For some reason I doubt it 🤣

His “just normal protocol” lie is transparently false but his supporters cling to it.

So one more time - yes, it is normal protocol to write letters of congratulations to a foreign leader after an election. But it is entirely unprecedented to write a cringe-worthy letter praising a brutal, terrorist regime without even a hint of our concerns. No other leader of a free country would dream of writing that tripe to the Ayatollahs. Definitely not Trump, still less Orban. No one but our very own egomaniac would write this dangerous nonsense.

I say it is unprecedented but I have a sinking feeling our President has been sucking up to other horrible dictators. Listen to him dodge the first question about Maduro who has turned Venezuela into a basket-case and stole the election. He has only himself to blame if people believe he did write a sycophantic letter to that thug.

Trump got elected because he promised what people wanted. Tax breaks,gun ownership and abortion bans. It may work again.

Poor old McGregor or anyone similar can't deliver anything only embarrassment.

Higgins is just a bit of a bolløcks tbh. It’s a shame Enda Kenny has no interest in running. Now that would be a lad for a good day in Croke Park, opening a new school, hoovering back a few pints with the US President, shaking hands, going to funerals etc.

We have a senile old man as president who hasn’t yet realised that it is now 2024 not 1974 and the world changed and his buddies in USSR and China and Middle East all went full metal Nazi since

Shame on him for politicising the office

There will be long-term damage to our country from his fiasco in New York.

We are heading for a Constitutional crisis unless the Government asserts its prerogatives vis a vis the Aras. It will be the reverse of the previous crisis where President O Dalaigh resigned because he was insulted by the FG Minister for Defence (and Paddy Hillery had to spend 14 years as a Trappist monk to expiate the sins of his political opponents 😥). Now we have the President flatly contradicting the Taoiseach on the most sensitive political issues (housing and migration) as a general election looms. But not a hint of criticism for the Ayatollahs!.

The Constitution is explicit -

Article 13.9 The powers and functions conferred on the President by this Constitution shall be exercisable and performable by him only on the advice of the Government, save where it is provided by this Constitution that he shall act in his absolute discretion or after consultation with or in relation to the Council of State, or on the advice or nomination of, or on receipt of any other communication from, any other person or body.

The only substantive provision in the Constitution which allows the President to act on his absolute discretion is

Article 13.2.2° The President may in his absolute discretion refuse to dissolve Dáil Éireann on the advice of a Taoiseach who has ceased to retain the support of a majority in Dáil Éireann.

This power has never been used. He may also appoint up to 7 members of the Council of State at his absolute discretion.

The only meaningful power the President can exercise on the advice of the Council of State is to refer a Bill to the Supreme Court in order to test its constitutionality.

So the Constitution is clear. The President has no power to act except on "the advice of the Government" (with a couple of exceptions not relevant here). In effect, Dev got rid of the British constitutional monarchy but filled the resulting constitutional gap with an elected figurehead to occupy the Vice-Regal Lodge. "On the advice of the Government" is a British euphemism for saying to the Sovereign - "do nothing unless we tell you to"

Above all, the President has no power to direct Irish foreign policy which is expressly reserved to the Government in Article 29. He doesn't even have the right to travel abroad without the express consent of the Government (remember Bertie's dash to the Park in 2007 which Mary McAleese was off to the States! 🤣)

The Presidential election next year will be an ideal opportunity to clarify the proper role of the President. Sadly, we will get a procession of clowns pretending they can solve all our problems (houses in the Phoenix Park and an A&E ward in the Áras!). But even worse, we have a Government which is willing to lie and prevaricate in order to propitiate our President as he tramples over the Constitution.

If people want a more powerful President, let's have a referendum (careful what you wish for!).

we have a Government which is willing to lie and prevaricate in order to propitiate our President as he tramples over the Constitution.

This is what they have to do to ward off the aforementioned constitutional crisis

We are heading for a Constitutional crisis unless the Government asserts its prerogatives vis a vis the Aras.

How in practice could the government do this if the president is not prepared to 'wind his neck in' of his own volition?

And what? Issue him a stern warning? It's not like Michael D has forgotten who he is or the constututional limits of his role; he knows exactly what he is doing…

Well then it is up to the government to call him out publicly

As soon as they start on that road at all, IMO we're into Donegan/O'Dalaigh territory, and it's hard to see a way out other than by MDH's resignation or impeachment

though its unlikely that they will in the run up to an election.

Yeah well this is the context: with both the government and MDH coming to the end of their terms, he figures he can get away with pushing thev envelope hard…

he has decided not to insist that Michael D. abides by his constitutional role.

Both FG and FF reckon it would damage them electorally to challenge Michael D.

This is where we differ; I don't believe there is a mechanism for the government to 'slap down' a 'rogue' president in the way you propose here without immediately pushing the country into an O'Dalaigh/Donegan-type faceoff…

So unless Harris & Martin want to push that nuclear button they have to keep pussyfooting around Michael D's envelope-pushing in the manner you deride…

Michael D will go down as one of the best and most popular presidents ever. If that annoys you, tough cookie. Build a bridge.

Seriously? Popular maybe but so are FF & FG. 🙄
Best? Give us a break……

More dramatic waffle. Constitutional arguments 😂. Please see my previous response.

 Michael D. has a trump card. He has less than a year to go and I don't think he has a dog in the fight at the next election. The Taoiseach and Tánaiste have decided to take their beatings with the aim of getting someone biddable back in the Aras next year. The problem is that no candidate next year will admit to wanting a more restricted role i.e. in line with the constitution.

Unless Martin himself? Could see him running on a 'back to presidential basics' ticket, take Paddy Hillery as his loedstar…

 President has definitely overstepped any and every mark (to answer the question in this thread). Sooner or later there will be a blow-up between the Government and the Áras.

Michael D is canny enough, or thinks he is, to avoid pushing things to crisis point. For the rest of his term he will continue to go right up to the line without (intentionally) stepping over it. And then in his bestselling memoir he can claim as his legacy extending the boundaries of the office…

But there is no "Israel angle". Michael D just made that up to distract people.

Israel didn't do anything regarding his letter that he didn't want us to know about.