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Article: A taoiseach in trouble; Ireland and Europe.(Ireland and the Lisbon treaty)(Brian Cowen)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- November 29, 2008
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The prime minister's problems may prove terminal for the Lisbon treaty
BRIAN COWEN, who succeeded Bertie Ahern as Ireland's prime minister (taoiseach) in May, calls it the worst economic crisis in a century. It is certainly the worst of times to be in government. The economy will shrink this year and probably next, for the first time in 25 years. The Celtic Tiger decade of high growth and huge budget surpluses has ended in a spectacular bust. Tax revenues have collapsed: the budget deficit may hit 7% of GDP in 2009.
Such a rapid reversal has taken a toll on the prime minister's reputation, not least because (like Britain's Gordon Brown) he was formerly ...