In an extraordinary development, confidential details of Ireland’s next budget were presented to the German Bundestag before the Irish parliament this week, outraging Irish political leaders.
As European queasiness over Berlin’s growing dominance of the regions economic affairs grows, the controversy has been latched onto by Eurosceptics.
Details of the Irish budget, which include a two percentage point increase in the country’s 21 per cent value added tax, were given to the German finance ministry as part of a quarterly review of Dublin’s $114 billion bail-out by international lenders.
According to the Financial Times, German political observers say that by German law, the Bundestag’s budget committee must review such documents to approve the country’s release of quarterly aid.
But Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan called the leak of the document by the Bundestag "disappointing," and leader of the opposition Fianna Fail party Michael Martin called it "incredible."
The Irish budget is not due to be announced in Dublin until December 6.
"This is another example of how the sovereignty of this state has been handed over," Gerry Adams, head of Sinn Fein, told the Financial Times.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.IrelandNorth | Nov 21, 2011, 06:45 AM EST
However, the positive take is that Germany, having only been reunited relatively recently, may be instrumental in reuniting this cute little teddy bear-shaped island, long haunted by a steady succession of carpet-bagging interlopers: Holy Roman Empire/[Unholy] British Empire etc.
IrelandNorth | Nov 21, 2011, 06:42 AM EST
Also, confirms one's worst suspicions that the European Union (EU) is in fact a Fourth Reich. The EU comprises all the former European imperial powers that were behind the global carve up that was WWI, where workign class lads were mere cannon fodder for such naked ambitions. Wake-up!
IrelandNorth | Nov 21, 2011, 06:39 AM EST
Isn't it ironic how we are now ostensibly an economic colony of Germany, the other imperial European power that the British feared we would defect to during both WWI/'II. It must be pay back for all those guns Roger Casement ran through Howth for Pearse et als 1916 gig. Dankenshun, mein Chancellor. Duetschland uber Allegemaine.
seanomelbourne | Nov 20, 2011, 06:52 PM EST
Germany now has a choke hold over Irish financial affairs thanks to some carpetbagging Irish politicians.Germany is again the major European nation,it holds the financial drumsticks and the rest are marching.Deutchland Uber alles again.
joan1954 | Nov 20, 2011, 11:58 AM EST
Gee, Dublin is mad, wake up Ireland, nothing is "sacred" anymore when you are part of a group and Berlin pulls the money strings. If you don't like it, get out of the frying pan that is the EU. Your previous government should have thought of that years ago. Old Dev is spinning in his grave.
CitizenWhy | Nov 20, 2011, 11:48 AM EST
Dare we see that there are collaborators in the Irish government?
CitizenWhy | Nov 20, 2011, 11:47 AM EST
Of course the Irish government does not want its status as a client state/colony getting too public.
jimmybb | Nov 20, 2011, 11:11 AM EST
2 world wars have started in the 20th century in europe look at history an as history has a habit of repeating itself i fear the 3 rd world war will be started in europe if the euro fails as i always said it would never work too many cultures differences even language alone important stuff gets lost in translation just look how hitler came to power twas cos of austerity measures inflicted by foreign powers thats still embeded in the german physche i feel its only a matter of time till ireland will grow a pair of b@#$%^ n leave europe n realign itself with sterling as we r an island in the atlantic ocean so we cant be centrally controlled by a european elite
cillowen | Nov 20, 2011, 09:16 AM EST
gerry their sheep love being had - suffering for jesus excites them. but for self - go to hell.
sirpeter | Nov 19, 2011, 05:24 PM EST
A democracy is one of those quaint ideas,like the notion that a state would be governed according to the interests of the citizens.Anyone who thinks they live in a democracy needs their head examined.Well Georgie Boy I'm delighted you're finally getting the message that these deals were done behind closed doors by a small cabal of Irish shysters and charlatans.The Irish people DIDN'T know.FF has been almost destroyed by the Irish people when we found out.The amount of seats they got in the last election is a clear example of the amount of people who benefited from this German sharp practice and their greedy Irish traitors.
DanOLoingsigh | Nov 19, 2011, 02:44 PM EST
Thanks, George...I wear any critique from your good self as a Badge of Honour...just try to cut out the personal abuse...btw, FF are not my buddies...never having voted for them..EVER..
GeorgeDillon | Nov 19, 2011, 01:46 PM EST
You're an idiot, O'Loingsigh. The ones doing the funding of foreigners are not the Germans, they're the IRISH. They're funding, as a result of the lunacy of your buddies in the corrupt and incompetent Fianna Fail party, the profligate German banks who lent money to a small cabal of Irish shysters and charlatans. Where was stern mother Merkel (what a stupid phrase, but that's par for the course with you) when the mad German banks were plying money on gangster Irish bankers? The Irish people don't owe this money. They never assented to the loans, nor benefited from them. What a load of claptrap appears every time your name pops up here.
DanOLoingsigh | Nov 19, 2011, 01:01 PM EST
I think this shows the true relationship between Ireland and Germany, not the 'Kenny lays down the law' non story...if German tax payers have to fund other states, they will demand more control over national budgets...not too democratic...but what's the alternative? it seems like 'stern mother Merkel' is making sure her spendthrift offsprings learn how to set and operate fiscally sound budgets...my mammy did it to me...frequently...I didn't like it then...but she was right...
LoyalCitizen | Nov 19, 2011, 11:22 AM EST
Are Irish Politicians the dumbest people in history?
GeorgeDillon | Nov 19, 2011, 11:18 AM EST
There's an excellent English political party called UKIP, the UK Independence Party. Some of my contacts in Ireland has said to me that they wish UKIP would organize in Ireland. Since Sinn Fein went all bourgeois, there's no party for people who want Ireland to leave the EU or at least to stand up for itself. All the Irish parties are traitors now.