Tens of thousands of people marched in towns across Ireland on Saturday in a second day of mass protests against water charges, the biggest display of opposition to government austerity measures since the nation’s banking crisis and bailout in 2010.
In a further blow to Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, an opinion poll on Saturday showed his center-right Fine Gael party had slipped 4 percentage points behind left-wing Sinn Fein — the largest party opposing water charges.
Ireland emerged from its EU-IMF bailout last year and the economy is rebounding, with the government forecasting economic growth of close to 5 percent this year. However, protesters said that they were not seeing the benefits and that austerity had hit lower-paid people disproportionately hard.
“This is not just about the water; it is about the past five years,” said Paul, a 55-year-old sign writer who said he had had to give up his car, his life insurance and his health insurance.
“I was thinking about buying a new pair of shoes this year. It is come to that. Enough is enough,” he added.
He did not give his surname to avoid attracting attention to his business.
Banners called on people not to pay the new charges, which are likely to cost the average household between 200 and 400 euros (US$250 to US$500) per year. Up to now, water services have been financed by general taxation.
Marches took place in dozens of towns across Ireland. More than 20,000 people gathered at the largest protest, in the center of Dublin, which was dominated by local groups, rather than the mainstream opposition parties. State broadcaster RTE estimated 120,000 people protested across the nation.
Water charges have dominated the Irish media for months, with almost daily revelations about high pay and bonuses for executives and new charges for consumers.
The government, which agreed to introduce water charges under the EU-IMF bailout, has proposed exemptions, but has not said that it is considering reversing the charges.
“People have legitimate concerns about some aspects of this; the government is listening,” Kenny told journalists after the protests. “Over the next number of weeks, we will set out what people really want to hear and that is clarity and certainty about how much they pay.”
The surge in antigovernment protests comes after years of relative calm in the face of far more stringent austerity measures in 2011 and 2012 and a bailout for banks that amounted to about a third of Ireland’s GDP.
“The curious thing is that it took so long, that something as trivial as setting up a proper water company seems to have been the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Trinity College Dublin politics professor Michael Marsh said. “Clearly there is a lot of public anger out there ... and the government needs to get a handle on it.”
A Millward Brown poll for the Sunday Independent newspaper showed 22 percent would vote for Fine Gael at the next election, due in 18 months, compared with 26 percent for Sinn Fein.
Just 7 percent would vote for junior coalition partner Labour, which political analyst Adrian Kavanagh estimated would give it two seats in the 166-seat lower chamber.
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
A Croatian town has come up with a novel solution to solve the issue of working parents when there are no public childcare spaces available: pay grandparents to do it. Samobor, near the capital, Zagreb, has become the first in the country to run a “Grandmother-Grandfather Service,” which pays 360 euros (US$400) a month per child. The scheme allows grandparents to top up their pension, but the authorities also hope it will boost family ties and tackle social isolation as the population ages. “The benefits are multiple,” Samobor Mayor Petra Skrobot told reporters. “Pensions are rather low and for parents it is sometimes
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
Two people died and 19 others were injured after a Mexican Navy training ship hit the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said yesterday. The ship snapped all three of its masts as it collided with the New York City landmark late on Saturday, while onlookers enjoying the balmy spring evening watched in horror. “At this time, of the 277 on board, 19 sustained injuries, 2 of which remain in critical condition, and 2 more have sadly passed away from their injuries,” Adams posted on X. Footage shared online showed the Mexican Navy ship Cuauhtemoc, its sails furled
RSS