A big thanks to all campaigners, in Ireland and many other parts of the world, who fought so hard.

Link to Results :

Austerity Treaty Results

Here are some initial reactions :

Campaign Against the Austerity Treaty

Press statement – June 1 – immediate release

Irish people bullied into voting Yes

Referendum result is not a mandate for home and water taxes

Labour’s way IS Frankfurt’s way

The government and the EU have succeeded in bullying the people of Ireland into voting for a Treaty they do not want. This vote was based upon fear and the Yes majority is a hollow victory. Even amongst supporters of the Treaty there was an admission that the only grounds for supporting it were the threats of exclusion from future bailout funds. This was the only substantive argument presented by the government and the Yes campaign.

The referendum result today should not be regarded as a mandate to impose the household tax, the water tax and other austerity measures. Those who are being most affected by the austerity measures – cuts and tax hikes – have rejected this treaty in large numbers.

Labour’s way is now exposed as Frankfurt’s way: the protection of failing banks at the expense of ordinary working people. The Labour Party should take no comfort in this result. They will find themselves supporting cuts and taxes that impose the burden of the banking and economic crisis on ordinary people. The Austerity Treaty, and the austerity policies being currently implemented, will bring neither stability, recovery nor growth. Labour supporters will soon realise this.

Over the coming months the activists of the Campaign Against the Austerity Treaty will work with those who oppose the implementation of the austerity measures that are embodied in this anti-social treaty. We will continue to link up with like-minded movements across Europe in support of an alternative that prioritises full employment, social protection, peace and environmental sustainability.

Brendan Young.

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An Explicit Campaign of Blackmail Waged against Potential ‘No’ Voters

The fiscal treaty was voted on in a referendum in Ireland yesterday and was approved by a margin of 60% to 40% (with a turnout of barely 50% of eligible voters).  

The outcome of the referendum was largely attributable to the ‘yes’ side’s focus on Ireland’s access to the new European Stability Mechanism (ESM) – the fund to which Ireland would be expected to apply should it require a second loan from non-market sources (a first such loan – from EU, IMF and other sources – was contracted in 2010).  The argument was endlessly repeated that a ‘no’ vote would deny Ireland the ability to apply to the ESM, and many people were doubtless convinced that this could be a risky proposition .  Thus, the ‘yes’ vote is explained to some extent not by any widespread endorsement of the content of the treaty itself, but rather by an explicit campaign of blackmail waged against potential ‘no’ voters.  As Paul Murphy, Socialist Party Member of the European Parliament put it, a ‘yes’ vote  is “no endorsement of what’s in this treaty and it’s no endorsement of austerity. People are scared out there.”

Things, however, will not get better or less scary for most Irish people any time soon.  In fact, they will likely get worse.  A ‘breaking news’ headline in one of the country’s national newspapers this morning  read: “Bad news back on agenda now vote is over”, referring to the fact that issues such as the introduction of new taxes, discussion of which was cynically deferred during the referendum campaign, will come roaring back with a vengeance.  Further swingeing austerity is to be imposed for years to come, copper fastened in place by the treaty’s rules.  Those who have borne the brunt of the cutbacks to date already understand this – working class communities tended to vote ‘no’ to the treaty, while the ‘yes’ vote was highest in middle- and upper-class constituencies; even one government minister conceded that the vote reflected a “class divide”.

There is no disguising that the referendum result is a disappointment. However, the fact that the ‘no’ vote was 40% is, under the circumstances, a very decent showing, especially given that the three largest political parties (only two of which are in government), all major newspapers, business groups and various civil society elites were unanimous in their calls for a ‘yes’ vote.  And it is worth bearing in mind that the fear factor discussed above pushed a lot of people into the ‘yes’ camp despite their opposition to the broad thrust of current policy.  Nor can those who abstained be counted as having given the current regime a ringing endorsement.  In other words, almost the entire weight of establishment Ireland could barely manage to persuade 30% of the electorate to back the treaty, and a good number of those did so only through gritted teeth and at effective gunpoint.  The courage of those who voted ‘no, coupled with what will inevitably be the growing anger and sense of betrayal felt by many of those those who voted ‘yes’ or who did not vote at all, provides a solid basis for developing a serious alternative agenda to, and mobilization against, the debt and austerity programme in the years to come.

Andy Storey

Paul Krugman Says No to the Austerity Treaty :

NOBEL PRIZE-WINNING ECONOMIST Paul Krugman has advised Irish voters to vote No in Thursday’s referendum on the Fiscal Compact.

“I’ve thought about it, it’s hard. I would say vote No,” he said on BBC Radio 4 this morning. Krugman dismissed the suggestion that a No vote would anger Germany and see Ireland cut off from bailout funds or from the Eurozone.

“At this point the Germans need to face the reality that this cannot work and that the Irish, who’ve been such good soldiers in this crisis, if even the Irish say no then that would actually send a helpful message,” he said.

Read More Here :

Paul Krugman Says Irish Voters Should Say No the Austerity Treaty

Rónán Burtenshawe Replies to Katherine Zappone :

 

On theJournal.ie on Monday Senator Katherine Zappone established her support for the Fiscal Treaty in an article titled, ‘I’ve always fought for those who have the least. That’s why I’m voting Yes.’ For many of us who are fans of her academic and political work it will have been a disappointing read – laced with conformism, neoliberal logic and uncritical repetition of conventional wisdom which serves the interests of the powerful. The article requires a response – particularly because of its assertion that voting Yes serves the interests of the weakest in Irish society.

More Here :

This Treaty Does Not Serve The Interests of Those Who Have the Least – response to Senator Katherine Zappone

Reblogged from The Cedar Lounge Revolution:

Reblogged from Campaign Against the Austerity Treaty:

Reblogged from Tomás Ó Flatharta:

From the British Guardian :

Link :

IMF Boss Lagarde, Scourge of Greek People, Pays No Tax

• Kim Willsher in Paris
• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 29 May 2012

IMF managing director Christine Lagarde. Photograph: Dominick Reuter/Reuters

Don’t Give Them Permission to Cause More Hardship

CAAT Newspaper Advertisement:

Link :

EU14StarAdMay 29

Link :

ATTAC Finland Demonstrators – Ireland Vote No for Us

European ATTAC Network Declares “we have to break with the neoliberal monetary order”

“Accept austerity or face chaos”. This is the message sent by European leaders – such as José Manuel Barroso, Angela Merkel, Mario Draghi – to the Irish and Greek peoples.

Until now, austerity forever has been adopted by Europe’s elite without any democratic debate, despite protests rising all over Europe to denounce these dangerous, unfair, absurd policies leading Europe to recession and social crisis.

Now that the votes in Greece and Ireland questions this orientation, threats of isolation and of economic disaster are used to blackmail the people. While for European leaders, belonging to the Eurozone mean accepting austerity, it is more than ever clear that we have to break with the neoliberal monetary order and with the domination of banks the financial markets.

If they choose to break free from the chains of austerity, Irish and Greek peoples should know that they are not alone. We, citizens of other European countries, will probably not be asked. But our thoughts are with you, since your votes could advance a break with the anti-social and anti-democratic drift of European policies and be the first steps to build real European alternatives to the crisis.

Signed  by the European Attac Network : Attac Germany, Attac Austria, Attac Denmark, Attac Spain, Attac Norway, Attac Wallonia, Attac France, Attac Greece, Attac Portugal,

The Civil and Public Service Union (CPSU), Mandate and UNITE trade unions represent workers across the private and public sector and a wide range of industries from retail to transport and finance.
UNITE Regional Secretary Jimmy Kelly said:
“The Treaty is only about austerity and does not have any provisions relating to growth.”
“It has been rushed in as a panic measure. No less than ten Euro zone countries have now slipped back into recession.”
“The problem with the treaty is that it enshrines the very policies that have caused that recession to get deeper and more damaging.”
“Ireland has a chance to say No, and to pull Europe back from the brink of economic self harm it has been engaged in to disastrous effect over the past three years.”

Mandate General Secretary, John Douglas said that the Fiscal Treaty if passed will not create one job:
“On the contrary it will legally lock down Irish economic activity at its current levels, and may even shrink domestic demand further leading to mass unemployment, decades of emigration and sow the seeds for future social conflict.
“This Treaty has nothing to do with ‘good housekeeping’ or ‘managing the household budget’; it is about copper fastening into an internationally legally binding agreement, decades of austerity, social exclusion, mass long term unemployment and emigration – and a continuation of attacks on workers’ rights and the welfare system. It is not about what is good for Irish citizens, or the citizens of Europe, it is a treaty of the Right for the Right!”

CPSU General Secretary Eoin Ronayne said:

“The Treaty amounts to writing into law the failed policies of the neo liberals who got us into the mess we are in.”
“Why on earth would lower and middle income people vote to make their lives even worse than they already are”
“What the ordinary citizens of the EU need is a sustained and comprehensive growth package putting money back into their pockets so that they can spend in their local economies generating jobs and protecting existing employment”
“Nothing in this Treaty will do that and a NO vote is the only way for people to stand up and say we’ve had enough of what got us into this crisis and that it’s time for change”
Each of the three unions has been working with activists and workplace representatives to encourage debate among members and present a balance to the government messaging that there is no choice but to say yes.

Mandate has produced a short video message and is mailing 25,000 members with a leaflet this weekend explaining the reasons behind the union’s stance. UNITE is also sending messages to each of its 50,000 members in the Republic of Ireland while the CPSU is similarly communicating that there is an alternative to austerity.

Links :

Letter to MANDATE Members Advising No Vote on Austerity Treaty

UNITE Says No to Austerity Treaty

Report of CPSU 2012 Conference Debate on the Austerity Treaty

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Report of a Debate on the Austerity Treaty at the CPSU Conference, April 27-28 2012 :

In a robust debate at the CPSU annual delegate conference in Cork today, conference backed a motion calling for the union to campaign for a ‘No’ vote in the forthcoming referendum on the Fiscal treaty.

Supporting the motion, Terry Murphy (OPW branch) said “Meeting this target will mean the imposition of such severe austerity that it will undermine the economy as a while and significantly deepen the crisis” said Murphy

This treaty will effectively write into law that neither the current or any future government will be allowed to invest in jobs ,he said

This treaty will require, added Murphy, the absolute decimation of public services.

It will also affect the rights of people to elect any government that does not adhere to the neo-liberal agenda, added Murphy.

Dave Meehan (An Post) said that the structural deficit target imposed by the treaty will mean €5.7 billion worth of cuts.

“This will mean 10 more years of unemployment and emigration” said Keane.

Eoin Ronayne, general secretary, said that “essentially the treaty means the imposition into Irish law of a draconian, right-wing agenda that will shackle this country to an impossible deficit to maintain”.

Now the right wing government in Europe of Merkel and Sarkozy are imposing conditions on our country trying to get itself out of the mess that was created not by ordinary workers but by speculators and by those that borrowed recklessly on the international monetary markets, said Ronayne.

However, Ronayne said that we are stuck with the decision of previous governments to get themselves into an economy programme with EU. That money will run out in 2014. The condition of joining the stability fund is that you sign up for this treaty, he explained

So on the one hand, while this treaty is anti-worker and nothing that we can sign up to as a trade union “in Ireland because of the way we were managed by our previous governments and now the new government we are stuck in a process where there appears to be no alternative” said the CPSU general secretary.

Other unions such as Mandate, the TEEU and Unite have come out against the treaty while Siptu has adopted to a ‘wait and see’ approach to see if the treaty is accompanied by an investment in jobs. IIMPACT has come out in favour pointing out that if we don’t have money from Europe in 2014 we don’t pay public servants, said Ronayne.

“it’s a case of damned if we do and damned if we don’t” said Ronayne leaving it up to the delegates to decide whether they want to campaign actively against the treaty or not.

Sinead McKenna (An Post) was critical of what she saw as ICTU’s lack of leadership on the issue when it left it up to each union to decide their own policy towards the Treaty.

“Shame on Ictu for not showing leadership” said McKenna.

McKenna also reminded Taoiseach Enda Kenny that for low paid workers “the sky is already falling in”.

“keep your hands off our increments and out of our pockets” said McKenna.

Terry Kelleher (An Post) said that the treaty will mean even more cuts and urged the delegates to support the motion and “make a brave decision”.

Pat Ormond said that under austerity he was tired of deaths by a thousand cuts and said he could not be hurt any further if the treaty wasn‘t passed.

IG-Metall (German Metal Workers’ Union – Wikipedia Entry

IG Metall Trade Union (Germany) – Solidarity With Irish No Campaign

There are many reasons to vote No in the forthcoming Treaty on the austerity pact.  One of them is that it is simply unworkable

More Here :

Why the Austerity Treaty Will Not Work – Michael Burke Irish Left Review Article