One of the new TDs for Louth, and still Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, Gerard Adams, has thanked all those who voted for his party. “I want to thank everyone who worked for Sinn Féin and all those citizens who voted for us. “Theirs is vote is a vote for equality, a real republic and a United Ireland in which citizens are cherished.” Which might come as news to those who thought they were voting to [unilaterally] …
With Fianna Fail now finally swept aide, will the two victorious parties dare make the one move that would weld them together in an instant and all Ireland with them? Only the most starry-eyed europhile would fail to give two cheers for the briefings emerging from Dublin that the about-to-be-born FG-Labour coalition really mean it. They will seriously try to renegotiate the bailout. They may yet confound the ranks of critics in advance who balked at standing themselves, Browne, O’Toole …
The Economist pronounces: It is true that Ireland will not soon pull itself from the economic bog. Recovery will be slow at best, particularly if an inflation-wary ECB starts to jack up interest rates. Unemployment is likely to stay in double figures for some time. Some fear that the cost of servicing the debts to the EU and IMF, and of feeding the insatiable maw of the banks, will eventually force Ireland into a debt restructuring. This would be a …
Crooked Timber’s Ingrid Robeyns ironically congratulates Belgium on setting a new world record without a government. As, indeed, do the Belgian people… 250 days and counting! Here’s a short CNN interview with Flemish comedian Geert Hoste And from a Guardian report On Thursday the word in Brussels was there would be fresh elections in April, a ballot likely to entrench the divide, deepen the crisis of political accountability and legitimacy, and result in yet further months of government-less squabbling. There is no talk of …
You were warned… RTÉ reports the people’s verdict on their chosen shortlist of candidates for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011. The Irish Times explains how it came to pass… Although the voting was originally supposed to have been an equal split between regional juries and a public vote, this was changed after a 30-second clip of the song was inadvertently leaked on the internet due to an administrative error by Universal Records, the twin’s record company. As a result the voting …
The Irish Examiner‘s Conor Ryan points to the hole in the doughnut that is Sinn Féin’s economic proposals for Ireland. Its tactics are concentrated on tapping those who have money, or who at least enjoyed the trappings during the Celtic Tiger. It hopes to bring in €120m on an increased second homes tax, it wants to find €285m on abolishing mortgage interest relief for landlords and €96m on raised capital gains tax. These appear to be realistic targets. But the more …
In the Irish Times, former deputy director of the International Monetary Fund, Donal Donovan, provides a timely, and useful, analysis of the various parties’ positions on the €85 billion IMF/EU bail-out ahead of the Irish general election. Here’s what he has to say on “burning the bondholders”. From the Irish Times article A major element in all parties’ programmes is the call to renegotiate the debt owed to bondholders. Implicit in the tone of the Fine Gael and Labour (and even …
The Irish Times‘ Arthur Beesley reports that EU Council president, Herman Van Rompuy, was accused by MEPs of being less than honest in his account of the Council’s discussion of Frau Bundeskanzlerin’s “grand bargain”. From the Irish Times report MEPs criticised Mr Van Rompuy’s positive tone, one of them saying it smacked of Soviet-era propaganda. “We’re getting feedback as if everything had gone swimmingly, that wonderful results had been achieved,” said German Green Rebecca Harms. “It’s a bit like the …
No agreement emerged on the details of Germany and France’s proposed “pact for competitiveness” for the eurozone at yesterday’s EU Council meeting. The Irish Times reports “a swathe” of opposition expressed at the meeting, while The Guardian editorialises against the German model – but accepts that the eurozone’s “economic rules do need an overhaul”. The EU Council press release is brief on the topic The economic situation The EU leaders discussed the economic situation in Europe and the eurozone. President Van …
EU leaders are meeting in Brussels today, including caretaking Taoiseach Brian Cowen, and the Irish Times‘ Derek Scally has had sight of a draft paper on Frau Bundeskanzlerin’s “grand bargain”. From the Irish Times report The draft paper is low on detail but high on ambition: “to create a permanent connection between European competitiveness, growth and viable financial politics”. After presenting the broad brush strokes today, Dr Merkel wants EU leaders to discuss the detail and fill in the canvas by …
The BBC’s Europe editor, Gavin Hewitt, has the latest murmurings from Europe on Frau Bundeskanzlerin’s “grand bargain”. If true, it could indicate the price to be paid for renegotiating the terms of Ireland’s €85 billion bail-out… From Gavin Hewitt’s Europe blog Much of the detail is still being discussed. There are differences within the German cabinet and between eurozone countries. However, a broad outline is emerging. Germany will agree to increase the lending power of the main bail-out fund (the EFSF) so …
The Large Hadron Collider at Cern had been scheduled to take a year-long break at the end of 2011, before returning at full power, 7 TeV per beam, in 2012/13. But, as the Guardian’s tame particle physicist Jon Butterworth notes, a new schedule has been announced. From Jon Butterworth The LHC will run through 2011 and 2012, rather than shutting down for more than a year at the end of 2011 as previously planned. This is great news for those of …
He has only just moved there, after all… but RTÉ’s 20 minute interview with the Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, Gerard Adams, is worth listening to in detail. Mick’s already noted the claimed introduction of a “warm weather payments” in the last (Stormont) budget. The Irish Times notes that… SINN FÉIN president Gerry Adams has said that telling the IMF “to go home and take their money with them” remained his party’s policy. His said his party, …
The Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, Gerard Adams, has defended his lack of knowledge of “the minutiae” of Ireland’s economic policies. From the Irish News …last night Mr Adams claimed he should not be expected to know the finer details because of his recent move from West Belfast to contest the Dail election for Louth. “I wouldn’t be expected – as someone who only moved here a week or two ago – to know the minutiae,” …
Politics.ie characterised it as a “ding dong” between Fine Gael spokesman Leo Varadkar and the still MP for west Belfast, Gerry Adams, on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland. But it’s probably not as bad as that 2007 debate… It’s towards the end of the 13 minute clip [RealPlayer audio file] that Adams displays what Leo Varadkar refers to as “his ignorance of economics”. “We would negotiate with the bond market after we have straightened out the crisis in our own economy,” [Adams] said. That would …
History has been knocking for some time… and, for good or ill, Angela Merkel “is perceived to set policy, pace and tone at every turn.” But has the public been softened up sufficiently for historic change? In the Irish Times Derek Scally reports from Berlin In recent off-the-record briefings, the German leader has shown an unusual determination for the task she has set herself. She wants “real harmonisation”, not just “closer co-ordination”. After months of silent backing for her euro zone strategy, leaders in Scandinavia …
The UK’s coalition government has announced proposals to introduce minimum unit pricing on alcohol sold in England and Wales. But with it being a devolved matter, Northern Ireland doesn’t have to follow. Nevertheless, the NI Social Development Minister and the Health Minister have joined forces to announce their intention to launch a public consultation on the issue. Although there is already a wrinkle evident “I am meeting the Irish Minister for Justice and Law Reform Dermot Ahern in Dublin in the …
The Irish Times‘ Paddy Woodworth reports on the latest developments following ETA’s declaration of a “permanent, general, and internationally verifiable” ceasefire. From the Irish Times report A document leaked to the Spanish newspaper El País at the weekend appears to confirm that Eta is still locked into the dogma that “armed struggle” will remain an essential element in the pursuit of Basque independence. According to the paper, a resolution passed by the group, following an internal debate after its initial ceasefire declaration …
While the euro crisis rumbles on, and with Frau Bundeskanzlerin promising that “We will do what is necessary, everything else will be discussed step by step”, the BBC’s Europe editor, Gavin Hewitt, wonders “what democracy in Europe means”… If the eurozone group of countries heads towards fiscal union then a further question will surely follow. Can you have fiscal union without political union? Slowly the public is being softened up for historic change. President Sarkozy was not a lone voice when he …
And it didn’t end well… On the night it became clear that Ireland was like a child, engaging in all sorts of annoying tricks just to get some attention. But the voters, I would guess, could see right through it. Post-Lordi, you have to be a little more subtle if you’re going to go overboard. Ultimately, it was more humiliating than any of the other recent disasters, because in previous years we sank quietly. This one plummeted with a very …
