EU leaders to discuss growth ahead of vote

EU leaders will meet on May 23 to discuss ways of boosting economic growth — just eight days before Ireland votes in the fiscal treaty referendum.

It comes as Europe grapples with the election results in Greece and France, which have widely been interpreted as a rejection of the EU’s austerity drive.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said yesterday he had urged EU president Herman van Rompuy to hold such a meeting in a phonecall on Sunday.