So here we are. We have had an election and a very unusual outcome. People who were fighting each other a few weeks ago are now working together.
How does that make us feel? Are we pleased because it is the most sensible outcome given the voting results, and it attempts to include some of the best people from those available? Or are we angry and disappointed because our party of choice has either become powerless or compromised?
I do wonder if some of us simply enjoy conflict – we need to know who disagrees with us to know what we believe. Ideas are not always about good and evil or left and right. Some practices may have complex outcomes on a variety of deserving groups and this forces us to explore issues on a deeper level, rather than simply supporting whatever our individual parties propose.
Personally I am impressed by the new leaders’ willingness to take a risk for the national interest. Both personally and professionally they could gain a lot from this arrangement but they can also damage their parties and their political careers. They are tasked with keeping their own teams motivated whilst being able to trust and rely on each other. To achieve this they need great interpersonal skills, self awareness, judgment, flexibility amongst others. Critically they will also face criticism from their own teams, the cabinet and the country at large. As the previous administration found, it is no easy task to demonstrate confident strong leadership and be responsive to the range of interest groups who disagree with you. Any organisation or family probably knows this too.
So are we waiting to rub our hands and say ..”I knew it would never work…” , or can we be hopeful for the sake of the country? We could spend the next 5 years looking for points of disagreements and completely ignore where there is consensus. Is that how we are in our personal lives?
In some countries, both near and far, the hand over of power involves very undignified behaviour and sometimes violence. We have a lot to be to be grateful for. What is your view?