Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

It is clear that the Government is committed to going along with that, as indicated by its signing up for PESCO. The Government has responded to that repeatedly by saying there is nothing to see here, that here is no process for Ireland participating in European militarisation. That said, I encourage people to read the discussion document from Fine Gael MEPs entitled, Ireland and the EU: Defending our Common European Home. Mr. Brian Hayes, MEP, made a pre-emptive attack on the far left for criticising the paper. He accused us of using "populist rhetoric". I do not wish to use any populist rhetoric, I want just to quote from the document I think he wrote. He said that "if the outcome to the current debate on the European Defence Union leads to some form of mutual defence pact within the EU, we should be prepared to consider that on its merits", that is, consider joining a European military alliance. The MEPs call for a redefinition of the concept of Irish neutrality, saying the term "independent non-nuclear defence" might be a better way of describing our position, one that is open to active engagement in international security operations but non-militarily aligned. It is short step from that to joining NATO. The MEPs also call for an amendment to Ireland's triple lock system, an increase in defence spending and the development of Ireland's defence industry.

What this is about is perfectly clear. It is about making it easier for Ireland to go to war. It is about Ireland participating in a Defence Union and a mutual defence pact in the European Union. It is about spending more money on weapons of destruction and killing rather than health, education or housing, and making Ireland a profitable centre for those peddlers of death. That is not populism, it is not rhetoric, they are the facts and people should check out the paper to which I referred.

The second issue I wish to raise is what is being referred to now as the so-called democratic recession, namely, the attacks on democratic rights which are taking place globally. The European Union is well able to make points about the lack of democracy, often correctly, in other countries or countries with which the EU has conflict or tension. However, democratic rights are under attack right here in the European Union. At the forefront of that process is what is happening in the Spanish state. The whole world saw the brutal response of the Spanish state to the attempt by the people of Catalonia to exercise the right to self-determination, but it is not just that. Let us look at the events of recent months. On 20 February, a rapper, Valtonyc, was sentenced to over three years in prison for lèse majestéand "glorifying terrorism" in his lyrics. Another rapper, Pablo Hassel, has been sentenced to two years for "glorifying terrorism". Other singers have also been prosecuted, not for any acts but for the expression of their views. Every copy of a book criticising the Partido Popular, PP, has been sequestered. Twitter users have been prosecuted for glorifying terrorism. That is the latest manifestations of a Francoism by the Spanish state to crush any attempt at dissent. We saw the unprecedented feminist strike on International Women's Day when there was a tsunami of millions on the streets. Up to 6 million people turned out, which shows the enormous discontent that exists and the potential to overthrow Rajoy and to get rid of the attacks on democratic rights.

I wish to raise the case of Brazil, given that the trade negotiations with Mercosur are due to the discussed. There has been an horrific deterioration of democratic rights since the parliamentary coup which brought Temer to power. There has been an increase in state repression and in violence against those who oppose the Government. The latest victim of an horrific incident was Marielle Franco, a councillor for PSOL, the socialist party in Rio, who was assassinated. Nine bullets were shot into the back of her car, bullets which were sold to the police in Rio. She was a black LGBTQ activist and a very prominent activist for human rights. As in Spain, the response has been for tens of thousands of people to come out on the streets, standing up bravely against the repression.

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