Reuters Ireland's Prime Minister Enda Kenny appears to have discovered politics' holy grail; combining bitter fiscal medicine with rising popularity. A sunny disposition, plain speaking and a sprinkling of luck have combined to turn the one-time electoral liability into a respected leader, possibly providing a blueprint for other euro zone politicians trying to push tax hikes and spending cuts past their electorates. “He's a naturally optimistic person, there is nothing negative about him and I think people are responding to the freshness of approach that he is bringing to bear,” Ireland's junior finance minister Brian Hayes told Reuters. “I think he's speaking plainly and bluntly to people and the simplicity and directness with which he's communicating with the Irish people is very important. It's that optimistic, confident approach that people are responding to.” Last year, Hayes and most of his senior colleagues had a dimmer view of Kenny's leadership qualities and tried to oust him. There was a sense the former primary school teacher and father of three was a political lightweight. Despite being the lower house's longest-serving member, with 36 years experience, Kenny's only previous exposure to government was as tourism minister. Weak parliamentary and media performances – he sometimes appeared to have little grasp of his party's own policies – and consistently low poll ratings had the party worried he would be a liability in an election campaign but in the end the failed coup was a turning point. Kenny showed political skill and grit rarely seen previously in defeating the challenge and in February, buoyed by voter anger over the country's financial implosion and his own energetic campaigning, led his centre-right Fine Gael party into government backed by a record 28-seat majority. Crucially, Kenny demonstrated the sense of fairness the electorate admire in him by appointing many of the plotters to senior cabinet positions. Having played to his strengths during the election campaign by shunning big set piece media appearances in favor of public addresses, Kenny has continued to cross the country delivering speeches rather than sit in his office. Government deputies Reuters has spoken to say Kenny has also upped his game to improve his media skills and parliamentary appearances, a transformation best seen in his powerful rebuke of the Vatican following a report into clerical sexual child abuse earlier this year. “The best PR is the PR that does not have tricks, it's basic communication, telling it like it is. It may not be very good news but at least people have a handle on what's going on,” said John Gallagher, a public relations lecturer at Dublin Institute of Technology who has worked in government departments. “(But) he also comes across as a very powerful public speaker, very encouraging. What he may have lacked in television technique well prior to the election, he makes up as a personal speaker.” __
