Wobbly Irish government sets March election date

Irish voters have been called to cast their ballot on 11 March in the first general elections since two referendums on the Lisbon Treaty and a multi-billion EU-IMF sponsored loan was handed to Dublin with tough conditions attached imposing further fiscal austerity on the country.

Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen on Thursday (20 January) set the election date for 11 March, vowing to stay in power until the austerity budget, required under the international loan, is passed.

"I bel...