Editorial: A president for all
What is the legacy of Michael D. Higgins’ 14 years in office as Uachtarán na hÉireann which came to an end this week?
In terms of the presidents that I remember in my lifetime, it’s Mary Robinson that comes to mind most.
She was the first president that I remember really making an impact.
Both Higgins and Robinson of course were cut from the same cloth - with backgrounds in the Labour Party. Both transcended their political backgrounds to become much-loved presidents and both certainly moved the role fo the president forward, reshaping what an Uachtarán na hÉireann can do and say.
Mary Robinson was the first president I was really aware of. She was a shock winner of a presidential election and transforming the role from a largely ceremonial position to an opportunity to change the national discourse.
What did Mr Higgins stand for as president? It’s clear that he loved culture, sport, social justice and he was never afraid to make his opinion heard.
That isn’t entirely in keeping with the role of the President although he never acted in a way that was unconstitutional. He did sail close to the win a few times though!
He never shirked taking about subjects such as Gaza, Ukraine, migration, climate change and the housing shortage without directly criticising government policy.
He was an eloquent and wise representative of the Irish people and that is in my mind, the key part of the role. He expressed some of the best aspects of what makes us Irish special in his speeches and meetings with foreign leaders.
In acting as a kind of moral guardian, Michael D. managed to thread a fine line, almost always expressing sentiments that seemed to reflect what the majority of Irish people feel- no easy feat at all. Catherine Connolly may have a more difficult time doing this in these more divisive times.
That he managed to both a left-leaning social democrat and a much loved public figure - think of the Michael 'Tea' Higgins tea cosies - shows how carefully he successfully managed this.
But if he was a kind of activist left-leaning president, would be be so happy if a right-leaning president did the same? And this is where his legacy is a bit more complicated. He has broadened what a president can do - which is fine if the president’s views mirror the vast majority of the population, but what if they don’t? The president is supposed to be apolitical for good reason.
In her inaugural speech, President Connolly suggested she will follow Higgins to “ensure that all voices are represented, heard and valued, and promote a public discourse that nourishes inclusivity, tolerance and active citizenship”.
If she can do that as well as Michael D. Higgins did, her presidency will have been a success indeed.