“I don’t want my grandchildren to have to go through this, so I’ll be voting yes” on May 31, he says, standing amid pigs’ trotters and sausages.
What Ireland has gone through is unprecedented in the country’s history. In 2008, the Irish economy took a nosedive as real-estate prices crashed. In November 2010, it received an €85-billion ($110-billion) bailout from the International Monetary Fund and the European Union.
The fiscal treaty — which aims to bind nations into tighter debt and deficit limits under the threat of EU fines — is being introduced by most member states. It needs to be ratified by at least 12 nations, but Ireland is the only country holding a referendum; the Irish constitution dictates that any transfer of sovereignty must get the approval of the electorate.
Those campaigning against the treaty, mainly left-wing parties, say if it’s approved it will signal to European leaders to make more cuts to public spending.
The Yes side, consisting of the government parties, employers’ and farmers’ groups, says it will bring stability and allow Ireland to get more bailout money. “I don’t think we’re voting for more austerity if we vote yes. It’s a vote for stability,” says Byrne.
The Fine Gael party’s Paschal Donohoe agrees. The politician tries to distill the complex treaty during a door-to-door canvass of voters near Byrne’s shop. “If we vote yes it gives the country a plan on how we can fund ourselves,” he tells one young woman. She remains unconvinced and is voting no.
Matthew Kerwin, a 77-year-old living a few doors down, is also dubious. “It’s like shifting the chairs around on the Titanic. You can do that all you like, the ship is still going down.”
The cuts Ireland has made include strict limits on health, education and infrastructure spending. There is anger at a new charge for homeowners, which is another burden for people who have seen their salaries slashed or jobs lost. Unemployment is at 14.3 per cent — a massive increase from just 4.6 per cent only five years ago. The most heartbreaking reality for some families is the emigration of their sons and daughters to countries like Canada in search of work.
In such a climate, it would be a tall order for any government seeking a Yes vote in a referendum. But the Irish government has some external factors on its side. The Greeks may have rejected the EU’s bailout conditions in a general election earlier this month, but the daily images of unrest in Greece are concentrating minds in Ireland.
“External factors are playing more to the Yes side,” says Theresa Reidy, politics lecturer at University College Cork. “The notion is being put out that if you reject the treaty you could slip into a Greek-type situation.”
Meanwhile, France’s new president, François Hollande, is pushing for the treaty to include provisions on how to grow the European economy, not just keep it in check. The No side has also been arguing for this. “There is nothing meaningful in this treaty about getting people back to work,” said Gerry Adams, leader of Sinn Fein, during a recent debate.
Opinion polls signal the Yes side is more likely to win but a substantial number say they don’t know which way to vote, suggesting it could go either way. The latest poll gives the Yes side 39 per cent, the No side 30 per cent and Don't Know 22 per cent.
Back on Dublin’s quiet residential streets, Donohoe tries to convince Damian Lawlor of the treaty’s merits. Lawlor is unsure how he will vote but thinks fear will cause the treaty to pass. “It will pass by the skin of its teeth but I don’t think people are happy about it,” he says.
Original Article
Source: the star
Author: Judith Crosbie
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