Published: Saturday, 17th May, 2008 12:00am

Cowen needs to differentiate himself quickly from the Ahern era

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Offaly man Brian Cowen will today be elected Taoiseach - a signal honour that is afforded to only the select few.

It`s a remarkable achievement for the man from Clara, and as fellow Midlanders we should all rejoice at his success, as he continues to fly the flag for this region at the very pinnacle of Irish society.

As political leader of the country, Cowen will face significant challenges in the coming years. Not least is the political challenge of avoiding the fate seemingly now inevitable for Gordon Brown in Britain.

Taking over from within a party, without the public sanction, from a long-term leader can often leave the new boss as a lame duck. It`s indisputable that Cowen faces major difficulties in ensuring that his place in history too does not appear simply as a footnote to the Ahern era - or as a transition to another more permanent phase in Irish politics.

To do so, Cowen will need to stamp his authority quickly on both the Government and the public. He should avoid the temptation not to meddle too much with his Cabinet. On the other hand, a radical night of the long knives would do little to settle his own party either.

Instead, Cowen should find a middle ground, by dropping three or four ministers, and announcing an eye-catching development, such as the demotion of Mary Harney from Health, although as a Government loyalist he is unlikely to do so.Economically, we enter a more troubled period. Job losses are rising, the construction industry which was the dynamo for our growth in recent years has slowed and immigration, which has powered our economy, is also showing signs of declining.

To help settle the economy, Cowen needs to grab the Lisbon Treaty debate by the scruff of the neck, just as he did with the outgoing Government`s faltering election campaign last May. Irrespective of one`s views on the treaty proper, it`s inconceivable that a defeat in the treaty referendum would not leave Cowen facing a massive uphill climb from the outset.

He will need to play a blinder in the Social Partnership talks in order to ensure a new deal is struck.

Publicly, at least, the various sides to the partnership talks seem as far apart as ever, though, the suspicion remains there a lot of grandstanding and megaphone diplomacy in advance of the real business. Nonetheless, Cowen will need to learn from his predecessor the art of securing compromise among diverse groups.

Success on both the Lisbon Treaty and the Social Partnership talks will help to restore some confidence in the economy.

Fianna Fail was fortunate to succeed in the last election and to emerge victorious again next time around would be a miraculous political achievement.  If Cowen is to survive into a second term, he will need to reposition Fianna Fail somewhat - and immunise the party from an attack from the left by Fine Gael and Labour.

Softening the image of the party could be crucial. Ensuring the Government helps to improve the living standards of the poorer sections of our society, whilst retaining economic growth will be important.

Ireland is currently ill at ease with itself, with growing levels of anti-social behaviour, drunkenness and crime. Quality of life issues will be all the more important politically over the next few years. Ahern survived on the back of the booming economy - as voters opted to stick with what they knew. But that won`t happen again. More of the same will not do for Brian Cowen - and he will need to differentiate himself from the Ahern era markedly.

Ensuring that all the children of the nation are cherished equally would be a good start - and fit nicely into Cowen`s personal affection for the real Republican tradition.