Taoiseach nomination process under way
After a procedural vote on the order of business, we are under way with the process of appointing Martin.
Albert Dolan TD of Fianna Fáil, who tried but failed to introduce the motion yesterday because of protests from opposition benches yesterday, opens the debate with a joke: “As I was saying…”
Key events
Outgoing prime minister Simon Harris, who will take a senior role in the new government, introduces Martin.
He makes a point that Martin’s second go will be different compared to his first, 2020 to 2022, when he worked under strict restrictions imposed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and thanks him for their work over the years.
He then cracks a joke that he could sense that Martin was “somewhat nurturing a mild desire to be the taoiseach again and I want to sincerely congratulate you on that achievement.”
On a serious note, he adds that “there is no doubt” that the new government comes to the office “in the context of a global geopolitical change and the very real challenge it presents,” but also points to the need for domestic reforms in housing, health, and disability, among others.
Just as a reminder, this is the composition of the new Dáil:
Taoiseach nomination process under way
After a procedural vote on the order of business, we are under way with the process of appointing Martin.
Albert Dolan TD of Fianna Fáil, who tried but failed to introduce the motion yesterday because of protests from opposition benches yesterday, opens the debate with a joke: “As I was saying…”
Irish parliament in session
The Irish parliament is now in session with the new speaker, Verona Murphy, reminding lawmakers of their duty to elect a new government and offering a provisional ruling that she hopes would help to resolve the procedural standoff on independent TDs.
Martin’s election going ahead
Lisa O’Carroll
The election of Micheál Martin is going ahead.
The regional group of independents who have pledged alliance to his new coalition have said they will not stand in the way of his formal nomination in the Dáil.
TDs are now gathering in parliament for the set-piece ceremony, which was derailed yesterday, to take place with his official elevation to taoiseach to be sealed by the Irish president shortly after 2pm.
Storm Éowyn to bring ‘extreme and real’ risk to life, outgoing Irish PM warns
The Irish parliament should starts its proceedings imminently, and TDs are now taking their places. I will bring you the latest here.
But in the meantime, the current taoiseach Simon Harris took to social media to repeat the weather warnings about Storm Éowyn.
I’ve been briefed on the storm hitting Ireland from midnight tonight.
Storm Eowyn is Dangerous, Destructive & Damaging.
We cannot give a higher warning than nationwide RED. The risk to life is extreme and real. You need to pay attention. Do not travel. Do not go near the sea.
Germany needs asylum reforms, likely future chancellor Merz says after deadly knife attack
We are exactly a month away from the German parliamentary election, and the public debate today is dominated by reactions to yesterday’s deadly knife attack that killed two people, including a toddler, in what the country’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, condemned as an “act of terror”.
A 28-year-old Afghan man has been arrested in relation with the attack. The suspect lived in an asylum centre in the area, news outlet Der Spiegel reported.
The leader of the centre-right opposition party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Friedrich Merz, promised today to make “fundamental changes” to asylum law if his party gets elected next month.
Merz’s CDU is leading the polls ahead of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) in second, and the Social Democratic party (SPD) in third.
In a sign of hardening language on migration, Merz said he would immediately impose a “de facto entry ban… for all those who do not have valid entry documents”.
“We are faced with the tatters of 10 years of misguided asylum and migration policy in Germany,” he told reporters.
He called for permanent controls at all German borders, a halt on all illegal entries to the country and the use of national law to step in for “dysfunctional” EU asylum law, as well as a push to make more facilities available to make room for migrant detention facilities, Reuters reported.
EU economy commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis stuck to the script and made some very diplomatic comments in Davos just now when asked about the potential risk of US tariffs on imports from the EU, as hinted at by president Donald Trump.
The Latvian, who previously also held the trade portfolio, said this:
The EU and the US are strategic allies and especially in the current geopolitical situation when we see autocracies challenge rules-based order, it is very important that democracies work together. … It is with this spirit … that we approach the new Trump administration.
The EU-US trade relationship is the largest in the world. Together, we account for 42% of the world’s GDP, so there’s a lot at stake economically.
We will be seeking engagement and dialogue with the new Trump administration to find a constructive way forward.
Dáil restart pushed back again
Lisa O’Carroll
The nomination and election of Ireland’s prime minister has been delayed again as opposition and government parties continue to try to hammer out a deal to pave the way for the formal ceremony elevating Micheál Martin to taoiseach.
The Dáil proceedings expected to resume at 10.30 but are now not expected to resume until 11.30 as talks remain in deadlock.
Pressure is also mounting to have all procedures including the appointment of the cabinet completed mid afternoon to allow rural TDs get home before Storm Éowyn makes travel hazardous.
Martin set to be appointed Ireland’s next prime minister after ‘constructive’ talks to resolve political standoff
Meanwhile the Irish public broadcaster RTÉ is reporting that Micheál Martin is on course to be finally appointed as the next Irish prime minister today after “constructive” talks this morning on how to resolve the political standoff that disrupted yesterday’s sitting of the Dáil.
“There is now nothing stopping the Dáil electing a taoiseach today following a constructive meeting between government and opposition parties,” RTÉ’s political correspondent Mícheál Lehane said in a social media post.
US vice-president Vance to travel to Poland next week: Polish media
US vice-president JD Vance is expected to travel to Poland to attend the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi German Auschwitz concentration camp on Monday, Polish foreign-language public broadcaster TVP World reports, citing a source in the Polish government.
If confirmed, this would be Vance’s first European trip since his and President Trump’s inauguration earlier this week.
We have approached the Polish ministry of foreign affairs to verify this information.
Nato countries need to pay ‘fair share’ before expanding alliance, US envoy Grenell says
Earlier today, I brought you the European view on Nato spending, so it’s only fair to hear the other side, too.
US presidential envoy Richard Grenell spoke via a video link in Davos earlier today, and let’s say he was not particularly impressed with comments from Nato chief Mark Rutte on Ukraine being accepted into the alliance.
As AFP notes, he also echoed US President Donald Trump’s call on Nato members to spend more on defence.
“You’re going to run into a big buzzsaw in America if we have the Nato secretary general talking about adding Ukraine to Nato,” he said.
“You cannot ask the American people to expand the umbrella of Nato when the current members aren’t paying their fair share, and that includes the Dutch who need to step up,” Grenell argued.
“We need to make sure that those leaders are spending the right amount of money. We need to be able to avoid war. And that means a credible threat from Nato,” he said.
The envoy also blasted Trump’s predecessor for not speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying the new US president was pressuring Ukraine and Russia “to the table”.
“There’s a huge frustration from Americans that we’re spending hundreds of billions of dollars, and our leaders aren’t speaking to each other to try to solve problems,” Grenell said.
