Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Democracy as a form of government in the world is under threat. Authoritarian regimes pose an ongoing challenge to the liberal democracies of the West. We have witnessed a rise in global populism and the so-called strongman leader. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, ordered by Vladimir Putin, has highlighted this conflict in a very stark way. Recognising the threat to liberal democratic values in the world, President Biden hosted a democracy summit last December. The President has talked about the battle between democracies and autocracies. We are very clear as to what side Ireland is on. We advocate free trade as well as a rules-based international order and the use of multilateral diplomacy for solving disputes. Does the Taoiseach agree with President Biden's analysis of the geopolitical situation? While the recent results in the French and Slovenian elections demonstrate the strength of democracy in those countries, does the Taoiseach agree that we can never become complacent about the merits of the liberal democratic system?

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