Resisting Austerity - Beyond the Ballot Box of the Fiscal Compact Treaty

Fergal Rowe
Thu, 17 May 2012 12:46:08 +0000
Austerity referendum, Capitalist crisis, EU, Referendum, Economy, National, Newsroom, Analysis, Fergal Rowe

On the 31st May, the Irish people will be asked to vote in a referendum on the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union, commonly known as the Fiscal Compact Treaty. The YES side in the campaign argue that this is necessary in order to maintain stability across the EU, and the NO side argue that this treaty represents an enshrinement and continuation of the austerity we have faced since 2008. However, both sides, either through ignorance, cynicism or malice, portray the limitations of people's agency and power as the ticking of a box on a piece of paper.