Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent)

The European financial and political establishment has been rocked by the events of the past few days. The euro is again under attack this morning and is down below €1.30 to the dollar and the banks in Spain are in meltdown. However, it is on the political front that there has been a major game-changer, namely, what the establishment will regard as an inconvenient outbreak of democracy in Greece and simultaneously a vote in France which is epoch breaking. The Greek people have voted against the austerity agenda and the French people have voted against the Merkozy agenda, which needs to be recognised in Ireland. It was regrettably recognised by Chancellor Angela Merkel when in response to the election of President-elect Francois Hollande she stated as a fact that there would be no renegotiation of the fiscal treaty.

As an Irishman, I believe the Taoiseach and I should resent that the German Chancellor has taken ownership of that treaty and assumes to speak for the people of Europe immediately after democracy has broken out in France.

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