He didn't stand up to the bankers.
Related: Ignoring the Irish
I tried to do better this time:
"Ireland’s prime minister says he won’t quit over debt crisis" by Shawn Pogatchnik, Associated Press / January 14, 2011
DUBLIN — Prime Minister Brian Cowen refused to resign yesterday despite mounting anger within his own party over his management of Ireland’s European-record deficit and its international bailout.
Cowen successfully appealed to lawmakers planning a noconfidence motion to hold their fire for a few more days at least....
The premier stressed he must be permitted to stay in power long enough for his government to pass emergency deficit-slashing legislation in coming weeks. Then he would call a spring election — a vote his Fianna Fail party is forecast to lose amid record unpopularity....
Cowen’s survival leaves Ireland’s Parliament on course to debate and pass the Finance Bill 2011, a measure that will raise income taxes as part of a wider plan to slash $8 billion from this year’s deficit.
The deficit reached 32 percent of gross domestic product last year, a postwar European record, because of mammoth bank-bailout costs.
Unable to keep paying those bills, Ireland negotiated a $90 billion loan agreement in November with European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund experts. Ireland received the first $6.5 billion payment on Wednesday.
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Related: Irish prime minister refuses to resign
"Embattled Irish leader sets early elections; Party in turmoil after $114b bailout" by John F. Burns, New York Times / January 21, 2011
LONDON — Brian Cowen, Ireland’s embattled prime minister, announced an earlier-than-expected general election yesterday for March 11, the latest development in a political meltdown for the governing Fianna Fail party.
Battered in the opinion polls since last month’s $114 billion bailout for Ireland’s debt-burdened economy, the party is widely expected to be ousted from power.
Its prospects appear to have been further damaged in recent days by events that have had more than a tinge of political farce.
For Fianna Fail, which has held the largest bloc of seats in Parliament continuously since 1932, the recent infighting has been one of the most embarrassing episodes in its history.
Last week, Cowen said he would resist calls for his resignation, prompting six of his ministers — more than a third of his Cabinet — to resign. First was the foreign minister, Micheal Martin, who left on Sunday and declared himself a candidate to succeed Cowen as party leader and head of government. On Wednesday, the ministers of defense, health, justice, trade, and transport also resigned, saying they did not plan to contest the forthcoming election.
Cowen let it be known he planned to fill the vacancies with younger, little-known Fianna Fail lawmakers who would convince voters that the party was rebuilding, he told aides. But that plan collapsed when the Green Party, junior partners in the coalition that took office after the last election in 2007, refused to support the shuffle....
By committing the government to serve on a caretaker basis until March 11, Cowen fast-forwarded his earlier plan for a late March vote, a date he had hoped would allow more time for the beginnings of an economic recovery. “I want us to get through the hard times and see the country is prosperous in the future,’’ he said.
Cowen clinging to power.
Opposition leader Enda Kenny of the Fine Gael party was dismissive. “It’s another fine mess we’ve gotten ourselves into,’’ Kenny said.
The events appeared to have made Cowen a figure of contempt to many in his own party.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,’’ said one Fianna Fail lawmaker, Tim Kitt. “There is a total disconnect between the leadership of my party and the public out there.’’
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I think he finally herd ya':
"Irish party leader steps down; Cowen to remain as prime minister until the election" by John F. Burns, New York Times / January 23, 2011
LONDON — After a week in Irish politics that some in the press described as a “circus,’’ Ireland’s prime minister, Brian Cowen, announced yesterday that he was abandoning his fight for political survival and resigning as leader of the governing Fianna Fail party. But he coupled his move with a pledge to remain as prime minister until after an election in March.
He's leaving but not.
Cowen, 51, has been on borrowed time politically since reversing course late last year and accepting a $114 billion economic bailout that was conditioned on a harsh and deeply unpopular multiyear austerity program.
Yeah, because PEOPLE DO NOT LIKE INCREASED TAXES to PAY for BANKER BONUSES!
Critics within the party have expressed fear that Cowen had become a political liability. While acknowledging that the party was almost certainly doomed to defeat in the March 11 election, the dissenters said the scope of the defeat would be far greater with Cowen still in charge....
Cowen said his energies in the seven weeks before the election would be focused on passing the legislation authorizing the austerity measures promised to Ireland’s international lenders, which include sharp cuts in government pensions and the minimum wage, as well as the slashing of about 10 percent of Ireland’s public service jobs.
Yes, the BANKERS are MORE IMPORTANT than you!
Cowen was calm at the news conference, and even detractors in his party hailed him for the dignified way he handled a move that is likely to spell the end of his political career....
Cowen conceded that matters had gotten out of hand, saying at the news conference, “We’ve got to get away from personality politics, and the depiction of politics as some kind of a circus.’’ He added a valedictory note, saying he hoped that Irish politicians would resolve to debate the country’s economic future in a “civilized’’ manner and start “dealing with these matters in a mature and adult way.’’
Translation: Keep quiet as the bankers tuck it to you.
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Time for me to step out for a while.
Go Chicago!
