Over the last year Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, has been working with member states on a package of measures designed to deepen EU cooperation in security and defence. This has come in response to a number of developments: the threat of state-sponsored hybrid warfare and the undermining of democratic processes,Continue reading “Ireland and Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) in EU Security and Defence”
Category Archives: Ireland in Europe
Ireland’s European Security and Defence Questions
While everyone is (understandably) focused on Brexit, there is much more going on in Brussels that needs attention. Near the top of that list has to be plans for closer EU security and defence cooperation. Big decisions are due before December and – as of yet – the arguments have not had much of anContinue reading “Ireland’s European Security and Defence Questions”
Themes in the study of Ireland and European Union membership
The following is the introductory summary of a forthcoming article in the EU Politics and Comparative Regional Integration series for the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics on “Ireland and the European Union”. This series is designed to be a dynamic, on-line source for researchers, teachers, and students throughout the world. Articles are expected to provideContinue reading “Themes in the study of Ireland and European Union membership”
Defense and the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU
As the Irish European Council presidency draws to a close, all eyes are on the big ticket items the Irish Government pledged to address: substantive progress on economic governance and banking union; jobs, growth and the single market; the MAFF; EU-US free trade; fisheries and agriculture reform and a host of others. Somewhat overlooked hasContinue reading “Defense and the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU”
Austerity in the Eurozone periphery
The latest issue of the online journal Intereconomics features articles about Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Aidan Regan and I wrote the article on Ireland. As we know well here in Ireland, they’re an oddly-sorted bunch, because each faces a rather different set of domestic policy challenges. Each also has problems that need to be addressed inContinue reading “Austerity in the Eurozone periphery”
Home truths about the Euro crisis
Jean-Claude Juncker said some remarkably candid things to the European parliament yesterday. His role as the chair of the Eurozone group of countries has given him limited scope to speak freely to date. Indeed he’s someone who is quoted as saying ‘I’m for secret, dark debates‘. Now that he’s about to step down, he’s madeContinue reading “Home truths about the Euro crisis”
Merkel Hysteria
If a case study was needed on how NOT to conduct EU negotiations, the October EU summit provides it. It has long been the bane of EU politics that the carefully crafted, finely balanced and nuanced written conclusions of an EU summit can be blown out of the water by a President or Prime MinisterContinue reading “Merkel Hysteria”
Some political consequences of the referendum
by Agustin Ruiz Robledo, Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Granada (Spain) and Visiting Scholar at the UCD School of Law 2011-12 The pace of politics and life in the twenty-first century is so fast that the referendum of May 31 seems to have been held a year ago and is no longerContinue reading “Some political consequences of the referendum”
Europe’s North Col: A New European Union Treaty?
Whatever medium or longer terms plans Chancellor Merkel has for the European Union, we are undoubtedly embarked on yet another treaty-reform journey. The immediate eurozone emergency may or may not require treaty change (one can only imagine that the Council legal services are engaged in a desperate battle to avoid that) but the dye hasContinue reading “Europe’s North Col: A New European Union Treaty?”
Fear vs. Anger?
What Ireland and Europe need now is a real debate between alternative visions of economic recovery and sustainable growth that are positive, realistic and clear with regard to what needs to be done at national and European levels. Instead, the Irish debate on the Fiscal Treaty is consistently framed (see two MEPS in this clip) as aContinue reading “Fear vs. Anger?”
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