Irish People Support Financial Assistance from EU and IMF
More than half of Irish people support a rescue package of billions of euros from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, but 56 percent believe the country surrendered its sovereignty by accepting the aid, according to a survey released Saturday. Ireland was forced to resort to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Union (EU) and European Central Bank to negotiate a loan of 85 billion euros (113 billion dollars) after a banking crisis sank to the collapsed economy and confidence in the euro area.
Irish taxpayers face years of spending cuts and tax increases as part of an austerity plan designed to cut four years the worst deficit in Europe by 15 billion euros.
When asked if they supported the bailout, 51 percent of the Irish said he received with pleasure, 37 percent said no and 12 per cent did not know, according to the poll Irish Times / MRBI Ipsos. 56 percent of a thousand voters in the sample said that Dublin had given their sovereignty by accepting the deal, while 33 percent said no and 11 percent had no opinion. Brian Cowen, the most unpopular prime minister of Ireland in recent history, lost national elections early next year for his handling of the crisis of these days.