Vitis: Gilmore smells blood
According to the opinion polls, it is going to be a Fine Gael/Labour coalition that will form the next government. Over 60% of the electorate support both of these parties. But Labour smells blood.
Eamon Gilmore's popularity is riding high in the opinion polls. He may feel that he should be the next Taoiseach. The party is trailing Fine Gael but it is bridging the gap with alacrity. Moreover, if the election is not for another two years, then Labour will be able to do enough work on the ground to make serious inroads outside Dublin. That will also mean that Fine Gael and Labour will take a much more adversarial line with each other in an effort to win over as many voters as possible.
What are the odds on a Labour/Fianna Fáil Government after the next election? The two parties make better ideological bedfellows than any other configuration. As Fine Gael pushes further to the right, could it risk alienating its erstwhile ally and force Gilmore to do the unthinkable?
