Counting has begun in the Republic of Ireland, the only eurozone state to hold a referendum on whether to ratify the EU fiscal pact.
Early indications of the outcome of Thursday's vote are expected within hours, with the official results due to be announced in the evening.
Opinion polls had suggested a win for the "Yes" camp but low turnout may have helped the "No" campaign.
In any event, a "No" vote would not block the pact.
Only 12 of the 17 eurozone members are required to ratify the treaty, which sets strict limits for countries' budget deficits.
Rejecting it would bar Ireland from emergency EU funding when its current bailout package expires in 2013.
Fewer than half the 3.1m registered voters turned out, with the percentage ranging from the low 30s in some regions to the mid-50s in some parts of the capital, Dublin.
The Republic's European Affairs Minister, Lucinda Creighton, said she was "very, very confident the "Yes" camp would prevail.
"We'll have to wait another half an hour to see how the tallies are looking, but so far so good," she told Reuters news agency on Friday as she watched votes being counted in her Dublin South East constituency.
BBC Ireland correspondent Mark Simpson says the "Yes" camp fears people angry with continuing austerity measures voted against the treaty to punish the government.
"No" voter Gerard Cunningham told the Associated Press: "Banks in Germany and Britain and elsewhere were just as responsible for the mess we're in.
"We're sick to the back teeth of being told it's all our own fault."
Another voter, Bridget Connolly, voted "Yes".
"The treaty will solve nothing, but... we're going to need European money next year, plain and simple," she said.
"We can't afford to be thumbing our noses at Europe right now."
The pact, signed by all EU members except the Czech Republic and the UK, allows EU member states to co-ordinate their budget policies and impose penalties on rule-breakers.
It commits all ratifying members to achieve budget deficits of less than 0.5% of economic output.
Last year, Ireland's deficit reached 13.1%.
The country's voters have twice rejected EU treaties - in referendums in 2001 and 2008 - though both votes were overturned in subsequent polls.
Those against the treaty argue that austerity is not working and suggest that the country should instead default on debts at five nationalised banks.
No comments:
Post a Comment