Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)

I will do so. Why would somebody consider a "No" vote? I have considered the six pack, the Stability and Growth Pact and the fiscal compact. I have some background in economics, although I am not an economist and do not have a PhD in economics. I do not understand their complexity, although I get them at a basic level. There is a wide range of deeply complex economic measures in there. This will shift power from politicians towards technocrats, a dangerous development on which we must keep an eye. Compliance is becoming so technical that it will require a PhD in economics which most elected representatives do not have. The structural deficit is an example of this problem. The structural deficit requirement of 0.5% is one of the main metrics in the fiscal treaty, yet economists cannot agree on what is a structural deficit. That is the level of complexity being introduced and it is bad news.

See this speech in context