Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen said Sunday that he intended to remain as head of his party despite calls for his resignation, including within his own training, but he will ask Tuesday for Fianna Fail to renew his confidence.
"I have come to the conclusion that I should continue to lead" Fianna Fail, said in a press statement Brian Cowen, who has consulted for 48 hours within his center-right party.
While the Irish media were lost in conjectures Sunday on his imminent departure, he argued he was not "in the national interest" that he resigns.
But he said he would ask his party to renew its confidence in a secret ballot held on Tuesday, during the meeting of the parliamentary group of Fianna Fail.
"By taking this initiative, I think to better serve the interests of the party," he continued, saying "confident about the outcome" of that vote.
Brian Cowen, the lowest in the polls, is under fire from critics since he accepted that his country be call for international assistance to prevent the sinking of Irish banks.
He is also accused of "collusion" with the former boss of Anglo Irish Bank Sean FitzPatrick.The latter has indeed revealed in a book, excerpts of which were published recently, have played golf and dined with Brian Cowen, then Minister of Finance, just before the development of the rescue plan of this institution.
"I'm not guilty of economic treason," replied Brian Cowen to opposition MPs who were harassing this week in Parliament.
Brian Cowen directs since 2008 the coalition government formed by Fianna Fail and the Greens.
His popularity has plummeted since the announcement of the plan of international aid (85 billion euros), missed by the Irish who had the sense to abandon a portion of their sovereignty.
The Prime Minister has thus received only 10% approval rating in the latest survey available, and his party only 14% of the vote in the upcoming general elections.
The government has promised to organize after the adoption, scheduled under a month, the next budget. This budget is the most severe the country's history, according to the requirements of the EU and the IMF in exchange for the rescue of the island, including the financial sector has suffered the brunt of the crisis. It remains to stop the exact date of the election.
