We thought there was a solid tradition in Ireland: first referendum is a No, the second is a Yes. It seemed so simple. But the Irish government has gone and smashed that venerable tradition by saying, if the people vote No, it won’t be putting this issue to a referendum again… incontrovertibly.
Worrying. Read more
The announcement of an Irish referendum on the European Stability Treaty put the euro cross-rate into a brief tizz on Tuesday. The reason, as the FT explains:
A no vote would mean Ireland was not eligible for funds from the European Stability Mechanism, the eurozone’s new bail-out fund. The pact can enter force with the support of 12 of the 17 countries that use the euro, effectively removing any single nation’s veto over the accord. Read more
*IRELAND TO HOLD VOTE ON EU FISCAL COMPACT, KENNY SAYS
Market seems not to like this… though wasn’t referendum or renegotiation risk always inherent in the treaty? (Cf. Monsieur Hollande.) Read more
Kaboom.
Greek Deputy PM Evangelos Venizelos’ bombshell statement upon arrival from Cannes on Thursday morning: Read more
George Papandreou, Greece’s prime minister, has won the backing for a referendum on the second bail-out package for his heavily indebted country after a gruelling cabinet meeting, the FT reports. The Greek cabinet met for seven hours before giving the Greek prime minister approval to hold the vote on a yet to be determined date. “The referendum will be a clear mandate and a clear message in and outside Greece on our European course and participation in the euro,” Mr Papandreou told the meeting, according to a statement released by his office. The prime minister is preparing to fly to Cannes to meet Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor, and Nicolas Sarkozy, France’s president, who summoned Mr Papandreou for emergency talks with Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, and the heads of the leading European institutions, following his shock decision to hold a referendum on Monday. The announcement spread panic in financial markets on Tuesday and raised fears that it could result in a disorderly default by Athens. In a joint communiqué, the French and German leaders said they were “determined to ensure the implementation without delay of the decisions adopted at the eurozone summit”, saying they were “more necessary than ever today”. Read more
…The President of the Republic shall by decree proclaim a referendum on crucial national matters following a resolution voted by an absolute majority of the total number of Members of Parliament, taken upon proposal of the Cabinet.
A referendum on Bills passed by Parliament regulating important social matters, with the exception of the fiscal ones shall be proclaimed by decree by the President of the Republic, if this is decided by three-fifths of the total number of its members, following a proposal of two fifths of the total number of its members, and as the Standing Orders and the law for the application of the present paragraph provide… Read more
