Embattled Irish P.M. Will Dissolve Gov’t

Taking that bailout may have cost Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen his job. But after resisting calls for his immediate resignation, Cowen announced Monday that he would dissolve his coalition government and hold a new election once a new national budget is passed and the bailout accepted. Cowen’s coalition, which narrowly held a majority in the parliament to begin with, came under pressure from Green Party members who were reluctant to back budget cuts, and the controversial bailout his party accepted over the weekend—after Cowen denied being in talks over EU aid—increased the tension. The Green Party has promised to quit the coalition after the budget has passed, a proposal for which will be unveiled December 7.