How to be a taoiseach’s ‘silent partner’
For the first time, Ireland’s Taoiseach will have a partner who doesn’t (at this stage) want to be his ‘Plus-one’ at official events and State occasions. So how will he – and his staff – adapt to this huge change?
BY ANYONE’S standards, it is a fairly momentous time in Irish history — as Leo Varadkar gets ready to ascend the throne to lead the country, he will not only be the youngest ever Taoiseach, he will also be the first ever unmarried one.
But that’s not the whole story, of course: because Mr Varadkar does have a partner — a man he said publicly last week ‘makes me a better man’.
As Fine Gael’s new leader himself said yesto terday, his election this proves that prejudice has no hold in this Republic. To which we would all agree: ‘Proper order!’
But as Leo’s decision to discuss his partner publicly last weekend clearly showed, his imminent appointment as Taoiseach is about set a whole new series of challenges for State advisers and those in the business of official protocol. How exactly should official Ireland treat a Taoiseach’s partner... particularly if that partner doesn’t want to be his official Plus-one?
Last weekend, Leo stated that, if elected, he would not bring his partner, Dr Matt Barrett, to occasions like State visits to meet other world leaders.
‘First of all, we’re not married,’ he said. ‘We’ve only been going out for two years. And, secondly, while that has been the tradition in politics, it doesn’t necessarily have to be.’ Indeed it does not: and yet there can be no ignoring that even this announcement is a significant change from the past. Events such as last week’s NATO conference in Brussels have already given food for thought about the issues that might need to be considered in the future.
Wives and partners of the leaders were gathered together for a special dinner and photo opp, and for the first time the group was joined by the husband of a gay head of state. Gautheir Destenay is married to Luxembourg’s first openly gay prime minister, Xavier Bettel.
The photograph provoked a huge reaction on social media — as much for the incongruity of one man standing alone among so many women, as for the fact that the White House version didn’t mention him in the caption. (Or indeed the apparent discomfort of Emine Erdogan, the devoutly Muslim wife of Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey.)
And there can be no denying the importance that a partner can play in the achievements of any politician: in his address yesterday, Leo himself made a point of highlighting the contribution Fionnuala Kenny had made to the success of her husband Enda. And on top of that, of course, there is the fact that the Taoiseach’s personal security will have to take account of the fact that there is a partner in his life who will at times fall under their care.
All of these issues will need to be handled carefully by Leo’s advisers, assistants and those who work in Government. All of whom, former Government insiders agree, will be learning on the job.
‘First of all, whether he likes it or not, the media is going to want photos of Leo and his “first man”,’ one former Government adviser explains. ‘There’s a natural curiosity out there about a leader’s partner and we still don’t know who Leo really is, he’s not all that long on the political scene.
‘So rather than deal with the paparazzi hanging around in bushes, they need to launch a formal introduction to his partner so it doesn’t become a, “why is he being hidden away?” It should be fairly straightforward and it should be got out of the way as soon as possible.’
The former adviser, like many others, points out that this is not the first time there has been a ‘nontraditional’ relationship to manage at Taoiseach level.
‘Obviously they dealt with Bertie Ahern and Celia Larkin, and him being separated,’ they explain. ‘But this is a whole new ball game.
‘I know he has said he’s not bringing his partner to official events but there will be occasions that will arise where Dr Barrett will be there, and protocol has never had to deal with those kinds of detail before.’
Our expert source also alludes to how Church and State are still inextricably linked in this country and that Leo will undoubtedly have to meet and deal with a large number of religious leaders, some of whom may not always approve of his sexual orientation.
‘We do have to see how the interaction between the new Taoiseach and the Church will play out. They will obviously be conscious of that protocol.
‘Maybe down the road they will get married, then they will be effectively writing their own protocol book on that. There is no precedent there. I don’t think it will be difficult for him but it will be difficult to completely foresee any issues that might arise.
‘There will be a lot of walking on eggshells for a while. They will be starting from scratch. So what’s needed — as soon as he takes over — are a few frank discussions between him and senior staff.
‘He hasn’t been very forthcoming, but he does need to get some of this stuff out of the way.
‘Because straight away, everyone will be issuing invitations to him to go all sorts of functions and events. So there will need to be a lot of back
‘There’s natural curiosity out there’
channel chats to make sure that there is no possibility of any embarrassment — not to Leo, his partner nor the people who are doing the inviting. It’s common sense.’
But common sense and, indeed, common decency have not always been guaranteed when it comes to dealing with a leader’s living arrangements in this country. Almost everyone the Mail spoke to this week mentioned how Celia Larkin was treated at a State reception to honour Cardinal Desmond Connell in 2001.
Bertie, who was separated from his wife Miriam, was in a committed, long-term relationship with the diminutive blonde, and she had been accompanying him on many of his official visits and events without incident. But at the Dublin Castle function it was reported she was banished from the receiving party, even though she was a co-host, in an attempt not to embarrass the then-bishop.
As her partner sat on the podium with the cleric, Celia stood in the main body of the hall and listened to Bishop Connell telling the room of the Church’s ‘profound reverence for the home, designed by the Creator through marriage and family as the deep centre of human intimacy on which the whole future of society depends’.
‘No matter what you thought of Celia, that was an unseemly incident at Dublin Castle with Cardinal Connell,’ says one respected, long-term political commentator. ‘To be publicly humiliated like that, when it was made quite obvious that they didn’t approve. She really was treated quite horribly. But I do honestly think things have changed.’
Indeed, our source does not believe Leo’s situation could be considered all that unusual.
‘Not really, sure there’s all sorts of people leading the countries of the world these days!’ he says.
He also has great faith in the people who currently take care of organising State events both here and abroad, making sure they run smoothly and that all corners are covered.
‘That’s the major thing of course,’ he says. ‘That there’s a great group of guys running the protocol department. They make sure that the Taoiseach is never in a position where they might be awkward or uncomfortable.
‘They are brilliant at it and totally invisible, you never even notice what they’re doing or how they do it. It’s like something from a bygone era. He’ll be depending on them.’
And if Matt does begin to attend official functions with our new Taoiseach, our political commentator can think of partners in the past who would have stood out far more than he ever will.
‘I often think of Denis Thatcher, when he’d be travelling with Maggie,’ he says with a laugh. ‘The spouses, God love them, would be brought to children’s homes or places like that to see the good works being done. Here was this old fogey doddering around in among all these overdressed women. It was comical to watch.’
Of course there are those who agree with how Leo is totally playing down how visible Matt might be. Or that it will make any difference that he, so far, plans to travel solo.
‘The days of partners and spouses travelling with taoisig and ministers are long gone,’ explains a onetime Government member.
‘It all changed in 2008 when the financial crisis hit and spending was cut back.’
‘All sorts of rules came in. And I know that Enda Kenny rarely, if ever, brought Fionnuala with him on trips.
‘In fact, the only time I can think of is when they would go to Washington to the White House on St Patrick’s Day to hand over the bowl of shamrock. ‘So it’s simply not an issue.’ Thankfully Ireland in 2017 is a place where fuss about the sexual orientation of our new Taoiseach has been kept to the bare minimum.
But there’s no denying this is uncharted territory for the civil servants who make sure our leader, whoever they might be, makes as few gaffes as possible and is put forward in the best possible light on to the world’s stage.
Many this week have gushed how Leo has been working on his social graces over the last number of months, learning how to make small talk and put people at their ease, a gift that will prove invaluable if he is to travel solo.
‘He’s a very good companion oneto-one,’ says a commentator who has spent time with him. ‘But he is quite shy in extended company, which has come across as being a little socially awkward in the past.
‘I think he will accept it as it comes. He’ll listen to advice but he’s quite strong-minded, he won’t allow himself to be in embarrassing situations. He really does take no nonsense, he has good manners but can be impulsive.
‘Mind you, he’s learned a lot in the last few years, he has learned quicker than most.’
Indeed, last week, Leo put forward a very firm and very plausible rationalisation for not needing a spouse or partner to attend official occasions with him.
‘Take Angela Merkel, she is on her third term at the moment,’ he said. ‘She has been chancellor for nearly 15 years. She has a husband [Joachim Sauer] but he has a job. He has only ever attended one occasion with her because he has his own career.
‘I think that would be part of the generational shift in politics, because traditionally you had a male leader, a wife who had given up her job.
‘We are now moving into an era across the world where men and couples have their own careers.’
But perhaps mindful of his perceived guarded persona and possibly advised to sate a little of that public curiosity about his home life, he offered up a little snippet about our future first gentleman.
‘Matt is just a very special person. Someone who is unconditionally on my side, which is always great. He is the kind of person who has made me a better person.’
‘He’s learned a lot in the last few years’