euro|topics - Dan O'Brien

01/12/2008

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O'Brien, Dan

2 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.

The Irish Times - Ireland | 06/11/2008

Lax fiscal policy in Ireland

Dan O'Brien of the Economic Intelligence Unit writes in The Irish Times that the Irish government has disregarded the EU regulations on budgetary discipline: "The commission's assessment of the Government's handling of its finances, contained in its 2007 report The Public Finances in EMU, placed Ireland last among the 18 countries it examined. ... Worse still, it found not a single measure in place to protect the public finances in the event of an economic shock (and this despite the warning lights that had been flashing about the property market since at least 2005). The other euro member states will not take this well. All governments have endured political pain in their efforts to respect the rules. Even now, under extraordinary circumstances, that is still the case. ... The expectation should be that they will demand that the Government make real efforts to restore order to the public finances. This should be welcomed."

The Irish Times - Ireland | 06/08/2008

The EU's alleged democratic deficit

Journalist Dan O'Brien defends in The Irish Times the democratic structures of the EU: "Though the EU has many flaws, a democratic deficit is not among them. The proof is easily demonstrated. If you are on the sharp end of a democratic deficit, be it in today's Russia, the Northern Irish state of yesteryear or countless other examples, you do not have to be a political scientist or legal theorist to know it. Your rights are ridden roughshod over and woe betide you if you attempt to do anything about it. ... This is patently not the case in Europe today. Over a half-century of European integration one will not find any country or group who has suffered such a fate, even among the smallest and most powerless countries, Ireland included. And it is not mere happenstance that the EU functions as it does. The reason is simple: manifold checks and balances. The most important is the hawk-like manner in which 27 member countries look out for their interests and watch the actions of the other 26. ... The EU's most urgent task is not to deal with an illusory democratic deficit, but to close its yawning legitimacy deficit whereby voters are willing to believe wild and often baseless accusations against it. ... As recent referendums in Ireland, France and the Netherlands have shown, this is not easy. Unless it can be addressed more effectively, the union's long-term future may be in doubt."

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