The composition and policy direction of the next government will be decided today at a special Green Party conference. It will be a challenging occasion for party leader Trevor Sargent as he impresses on delegates the need to shape the political agenda from within, rather than from outside, government.
The risks are significant in proposing to enter Fianna Fáil's first three-party coalition in the history of the State with the Progressive Democrats supported, from outside, by Independents. But the benefits are commensurably large.
Details of a 90-page draft programme for government will only become available when Green Party delegates meet today. Advances are understood to have been made in the problem areas of climate change, public transport, education and planning that were identified by Mr Sargent last week. But will they be sufficiently compelling?
The Taoiseach has not allowed the Green Party, with six Dáil seats, to dictate the broad government agenda to Fianna Fáil with 78 seats. But concessions have been made in areas of particular concern to the Greens. While political stability was the reason Bertie Ahern wanted an alliance with the Green Party, the price had to be politically acceptable. At all times it was emphasised that support from the PDs and Independents would be sufficient to allow Fianna Fáil to form a government when the 30th Dáil meets tomorrow.
The change in political attitudes since last Friday has been striking. Following six days of intensive negotiations, Fianna Fáil then produced a take-it-or leave-it document in an attempt to bounce the Greens into government. And, faced with a requirement to secure support from two-thirds of delegates at a special conference, the Green Party leadership rejected it. After the weekend, however, Fianna Fáil reopened negotiations and provided a range of specific commitments. Talks have also taken place between Mr Ahern and Mr Sargent on Green Party representation in government and on nominations to the Seanad.
Transforming the Green Party from an organisation of protest into a party of government has been a long and arduous process. It remains to be seen whether the transition is yet complete. Opposition to government policies and rejection of the status quo was a comfortable position as the party set out to reshape public attitudes to sustainable economic development and environmental issues.
At their party conference last February delegates chose to campaign as an independent party, leaving their options open for government. Supporters who expressed a political preference during the election campaign, however, favoured an alliance with Fine Gael and the Labour Party by close to a two-thirds majority.
Changing that focus in order to embrace Fianna Fáil is the price of power. Will delegates pay it? And what of the position of Trevor Sargent, who vowed that he would not lead his party into a Fianna Fáil government?