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THE LEADERS OF France and Germany will meet in Berlin on Monday for week-long preparatory discussions ahead of an EU summit on the bloc’s debt crisis scheduled for the end of January.
After months of displaying a united front in the face of the spiraling European debt crisis, it has recently been revelaed that Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel differ on the question of introducing a financial transaction tax in the EU. While Sarkozy favours the tax – and has vowed that France will introduce it on its own if needs be – Merkel still appears keen to establish a broad consensus for tax, RTÉ reports.
Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron has also weighed in on the issue, threatening to block the tax over fears it would damage the City of London. In an interview with the BBC, Cameron said:
The idea of a new European tax – when you’re not going to have that tax put in place in other places – I don’t think is sensible and so I will block it. Unless the rest of the world all agreed at the same time that we are all going to have some sort of tax then we are not going to go ahead with it.
Cameron’s stance has angered EU partners – coming, as it has, quickly after his veto of a proposed EU treaty on greater fiscal integration in the eurozone which was aimed at stemming the spread of the debt crisis.
As the debate on how to best tackle the bloc’s debt crisis continues, former Libertas leader Declan Ganley writes in this morning’s Sunday Business Post in favour of the EU embracing a federal and democratic union in order to tackle the “chronic lack of democracy, accountability and transparency” at the heart of the project.
Although admitting that the prospect of a fully federalised EU ought to “worry” Europeans, Ganley argues that taking a “calculated and worthwhile risk to unite fully in a democratic and federal union” could obviate a messy end to the European dream.
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So disappointed with Phil. All talk etc. No pay parity. No parity on working hours. I’m hoping she’ll be very disappointed with the voting.
@Catherine Gaffney: 55cc’s of brown envelope’s stat
Nothing we marched or went on strike for, is being addressed or rectified. An entire profession being sold out. Mighty nurses indeed.
From what I hear from the nurses I know they are far from impressed with the deal.
@James O’Donovan: I know that student nurses weren’t even asked their opinion, while the Inmo seem to be on a solo run completely at odds with actual nurses demands over conditions.
They might get a suprise from their members .its a bad deal.I think phil is liam Doran in suprise.all her talk @ the start was just a load of waffle
@matthew o reilly: maybe nurses should start another union? Nurses I know want more staff on the wards more than an extra fiver.
What about the facts that they are more and more self serving and patients are getting less and less care while they are getting more money?
@Viola Bingham: what” facts” would they be Viola?
It’s a case of one step forward and two steps backwards for nurses, a poor deal full of conditions, many unacceptable.
The nurses will decide, not phil nor the labour courts nor the politicians. And strike again if ye have to. This gov is a disgrace anyway.
What deal did the Nurses get for the people who have to use their departments? I heard a lot about concern for patients during the strike but I see none of it in this deal.
Another sellout by INMO executive.
Nothing has changed. Doran used to waffle for weeks about conditions, the real problem, and threaten strike action,the govt then throw a few bob their way and suddenly a deal is struck. Highest waiting lists ever in Limerick at present and was in A&E in a Dublin hospital this week and it was like a scene from MASH. Phil and Co should step down. I know it’s in their interest to continue to let patients suffer in these conditions as it justifies their existence, IR turbulence, but the nurses should rebel against this shower for selling them out again. Conditions will never improve with this crowd supposedly leading the drive for change.
Now now everyone calm down…
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