Liz Cullen continues her assessment of the risks and consequences for achieving and maintaining peace as opposed to backing Von der Leyen’s war union
The recently formed ‘Save the Triple Lock – Save Our Neutrality’ campaign held a demonstration outside Government Buildings in Dublin, Ireland, on Tuesday, March 4, as the Cabinet met to discuss a bill for dismantling the Triple Lock. Members from DiEM25 in Ireland took part because DiEM25 are actively participating in this campaign alongside World Beyond War Ireland, Mothers Against Genocide, Transnational Institute and others.
Later in the day, after their meeting, the Irish government said it welcomed the speech of the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to rearm Europe by massively boosting military spending. This was an elaboration of her proposals at the February 2025 Munich Security Conference for exempting defence from European Union limits on government spending, when she said that she wants to “activate the escape clause for defence investments,” because of another period of crisis.
Lobbying by the arms industry is contributing to shaping the EU’s approach to security and defence in 2024. As far back as 2013, issues such as the development of armed drones, economic support for the arms trade, air‐to‐air refuelling to support aerial bombing and military responses to attacks on cyber and maritime infrastructure were agreed as priorities under the Common Security and Defence Policy. It is no surprise that in 2023 European defence spending increased by 10% on the previous year, to a record €279 billion, marking the ninth year of consecutive growth. The budget for the time period 2021 to 2027 is now an astounding 7.953 billion euros. Furthermore, the profits of the 100 largest companies in the defence industry reached 632 billion dollars, an increase of 4.2% in 2023 from 2022. Under the influence of the arms industry, the militarisation of the EU continues to gain ground, and calls into question the EU as a peace project.
The increased militarisation of the EU also seriously calls into question the adherence of the government to one of five “signature policies” of Ireland by the Department of Foreign Affairs, namely disarmament. This policy is a wonderful continuation of the then-Foreign Affairs Minister, Frank Aiken and his great work for peace in the UN in the 1950s. Aiken’s approach was informed by his active involvement in the international cause for self-determination of countries to be free of big power domination during the 1916-23 revolutionary struggle to advance democracy and independence in Ireland.
His outstanding work there led to the creation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The commitments under this treaty include not to make or acquire nuclear weapons, and to further the goal of nuclear and complete disarmament. This work is continued by the International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). ICAN was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017. As a member of the EU, one would hope that in our troubled world, Ireland would proudly uphold Aiken’s legacy and work for disarmament.
Although the government website continues to state that “Ireland continues to play a leading role in efforts to promote disarmament, non-proliferation and the regulation of new weapons,” unfortunately, this is not what is happening.
The current situation in Ukraine is not initiating any calls to peace talks from the Irish government. Instead, the head of NATO, secretary general Mark Rutte, in December 2024, called for a shift to a wartime mindset, and to “turbo-charge our defence production and defence spending”. This approach is strikingly at odds with Ireland’s stated constitutional position of international peacemakers. The only mention of the word “peace” in the keynote speech of Von der Leyen at the European Defence and Security Summit, in Brussels in 2024 was in the term European “Peace” Facility, as it has mobilised 6.1 billion euros to support the Ukrainian armed forces with lethal and non-lethal military equipment and supplies.
Overall, the EU and member states have given an astonishing 48.3 billion euros in military support for Ukraine. Strengthening the arms industry takes much needed money away from the vital work of peace-building, diplomacy, environmental damage and social issues. As former United States president Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who are hungry and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed”.
The silence of the Irish government in the face of increased militarisation is dreadful and is in direct opposition to the sentiments in the Irish constitution, which states our belief in the peaceful settlement of international disputes by arbitration or judicial means. There is much that they could do. The late historian Howard Zinn stated: “In between war and passivity there are a thousand possibilities”, and Gene Sharp, professor of political science and pacifist, has documented 198 methods of non-violent actions ranging from personal to governmental, with many examples.
The most recent poll in early 2025, by the polling company “Ireland Thinks”, again clearly showed public support for neutrality when 75% of the 1,200 people polled said that Ireland should maintain its current policy on neutrality. In 2023, 100,000 people marched in Dublin to protest against the war in Iraq and the use of Shannon Airport by the US military.
President Michael Higgins spoke for many Irish people in his Christmas message in 2024 when, echoing Eisenhower, he said: “What a shameful statistic it is that in 2023 global military expenditure increased by 6.8% to $2443 billion, increasing in all regions, the highest ever recorded. All of this while so many human values cry out for recognition.”
It is morally wrong for Ireland to abolish the Triple Lock, and not to negotiate for peace. We must question the close EU/NATO arrangement. The government is betraying the expressed wishes of the Irish people to remain neutral.
We must strengthen and support the UN. There are problems with the UN, but with 193 countries as members, it is a major international organisation for global peace and security. The great peacemaker Daniel O’Connell, said: “Nothing is politically right which is morally wrong.”
Aiken strongly believed that a small neutral state had a crucial role to play in UN diplomacy. Since Aiken’s time, with the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, we have gained further valuable experience in ceasefires, disarmament and peace agreement. Aiken was a staunch supporter of Irish neutrality and greatly upset the US president Franklin D. Roosevelt when he refused his request that Ireland join the war.
Ireland in 2025 seems to have no problem allowing US military planes to use Shannon Airport in their illegal wars. Von der Leyen says that the “task of the moment” is “the urgent need to rebuild, replenish and transform Member states armed forces”. It is of paramount importance that we oppose this. Ireland must call a halt to the creeping militarisation of the EU, or at least Ireland’s role in it. The task of the moment is for Ireland to keep the Triple Lock – a crucial democratic mechanism for promoting and working for peaceful resolution of conflicts internationally.
Being neutral does not mean being silent. Future generations may not forgive us.
Read Liz Cullen’s recent article on the risks and consequences of achieving and maintaining peace in today’s turbulent world here
Do you want to be informed of DiEM25's actions? Sign up here
