BRINGING ON THE CHARM
Whether Ms Paetongtarn will survive in office until the next general election, due by 2027, is another matter altogether.
She inherits significant economic and political challenges from her short-lived predecessor, Srettha Thavisin. Economic growth remains sluggish, while Pheu Thai’s flagship economic stimulus programme – the digital wallet handout scheme – continues to be controversial in terms of its fiscal sustainability and effectiveness.
Mr Srettha’s own ouster at the hands of the Constitutional Court just last week underscores the determination of hardline conservatives to retaliate against attempts by Thaksin to more directly influence government decision-making.
Moreover, Ms Paetongtarn carries the unique baggage of being a Shinawatra family member. While few doubted that Thaksin was always in the picture when Mr Srettha was prime minister, the latter could at least fall back on his track record as a businessperson to defend the objectivity of his views.
Ms Paetongtarn, who has made no effort to disguise her readiness to seek her father’s advice in governing, will be given even less benefit of the doubt than Mr Srettha ever was.
And perhaps this is a clue to how she will seek to navigate tensions with the hardline conservative camp for the remainder of her tenure, however long or short it ends up being. No prime minister from Pheu Thai can hope to escape the long shadow of its patriarch, let alone his flesh and blood. So why try?
