"Ireland’s coalition government falls apart" by Associated Press / January 24, 2011
DUBLIN — Ireland’s deeply unpopular prime minister suffered another blow yesterday as the small but pivotal Green Party withdrew from his coalition government, forcing a national election to be held next month rather than in March and raising pressure on the premier to quit.
Brian Cowen is widely blamed for Ireland’s stunning slide to the brink of bankruptcy. His Fianna Fail party, which has won the most seats in Parliament in every election since 1932, is expected this time to suffer a crushing defeat.
The Greens hold just six seats, but losing them cost the ruling coalition its parliamentary majority. Their withdrawal means Cowen will be forced to dissolve Parliament and call an election within days, nullifying the March 11 date Cowen had announced last week. Analysts said a new date, likely in February, would be set this week.
Cowen ruled out resigning as prime minister before the passage of one last essential deficit-fighting measure: legislation that will broadly raise income taxes as part of Ireland’s international bailout.
“It’s important that we get the Finance Bill through, and we need a government to do that,’’ said Cowen....
Because it is what bankers want.
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Related: Irish leader to dissolve Parliament
Also see: Sunday Globe Special: Cowen the Coward
"Debt-burdened Ireland looks to election this month; Prime minister formally ends his government" by Shawn Pogatchnik, Associated Press / February 2, 2011
DUBLIN — Ireland’s Parliament was dissolved yesterday for a long-awaited Feb. 25 election as Prime Minister Brian Cowen exited the political stage defending his management of the nation’s plunge toward bankruptcy.
Cowen declared a formal end to his government two months after he was forced to negotiate a $92 billion loan package from the European Union and International Monetary Fund, a measure he had insisted Ireland did not need....
Recent surveys have rated Cowen as the most unpopular leader since Ireland won independence from Britain in 1922; he’s leaving office with an 8 percent approval rating....
Cowen has left Irish taxpayers with a bank bailout bill likely to top $70 billion as Dublin banks faced major defaults on their loan books and demands from foreign creditors for their money back.
Thus your record-low approval.
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Related: Sinn Fein leader appointed to crown post
