Dáil debates

Tuesday, 10 May 2022

6:20 pm

Photo of Mick BarryMick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

Europe Day saw the conclusion of the Conference on the Future of Europe. There has been very little reportage of this conference in the Irish media. I have had to scan the pages of the international media - The Financial Times, Reuters, France 24, The New York Timesand so on - in order to get a full picture of what went on there. I want to make some points about it to the Dáil as they are important. The Conference on the Future of Europe was made up of various European politicians as well as randomly selected people. One key recommendation was for the removal of unanimity for foreign affairs and defence issues. Emmanuel Macron and Ursula von der Leyen supported the opening of a discussion to reform the European Union treaties and have called for the establishment of a convention to discuss that. This was also backed by the European Parliament and by Mario Draghi last week. Mr. Macron also spoke of a European political community in parallel to the EU institutions that would be open to non-EU countries, including the UK and Ukraine. The German European Minister spoke about the possibility of deeper integration of those who are willing.

Mr. Macron, the German Government, the Italian Government, the Commission and so on want either the EU or, if necessary, a subset of EU states to have greater punching power for the inter-imperialist rivalries of the 2020s and 2030s. They want to have the weight and the flexibility of the United States, China, Russia and so on in defending their geopolitical position and the interests and profits of Europe's big corporations. At the moment, it is the United States that is calling the shots in regard to the Western intervention on the Ukraine crisis. The top European leaders want to have greater impact and weight for Europe's capitalist powers. The removal of national vetoes and replacement with weighted votes on foreign affairs, up to and including military action, will be a big step in this direction.

Where does the Irish Government stand in this debate? Will the Irish Government support a two-tier Europe and which tier does it want Ireland to be in? Will the Government support the convening of a convention for a new treaty at the European Council, as this is likely to be on the agenda at the June European Council? If so, the Government is supporting a move to a more militarised Europe. I remind the Minister of State that any removal of powers from the Irish State to the European Union, such as a removal of unanimity, will require a referendum. It is a referendum that the Government could very well lose.

The speeches this week, in my view, exposed the real nature of the European union as a capitalist bloc. These days, we hear less and less about a social Europe and the rights of working people and more and more about militarism and increasing military expenditure.

I call on people, not just here in Ireland but throughout the European Continent as a whole, to oppose and organise against this agenda and to campaign for an alternative Europe which puts the interests of working people and the majority of ordinary people ahead of the interests of big corporations and arms manufacturers.

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