Irish opinions are worthless when it comes to EU foreign policy - SF

[David Cochrane]

Press release from SF's Aengus Ó Snodaigh .....

Ó Snodaigh exposes new threat to Irish neutrality

Sinn Féin Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh today accused
the new EU Foreign Policy Chief of excluding Ireland from policy
formulation. Deputy Ó Snodaigh said a meeting of seven EU Foreign
Ministers took place in Finland to develop the EU’s approach to
Palestine and other Foreign policy issues to which Ireland was not
invited.

Speaking at a Peace and Neutrality Alliance press conference in Dublin
today Deputy Ó Snodaigh said, “Developments that are happening right now
at a European level risk scuppering our neutrality forever.

“The government said vote Yes to Lisbon and we will be at the heart of
Europe, influencing policy. Sinn Féin disagreed and unfortunately
recent developments are proving us right. In the post-Lisbon context a
new foreign policy chief has been put in place – Baroness Catherine
Ashton and the mammoth External Action Service is also in the process of
being established.

“This is the woman who publicly dismissed our Foreign Affairs Minister
Mícheál Martin’s report and recommendations on Gaza. In what was
classed as a major snub by observers it was clear she has concluded that
Irish opinions are worthless when it comes to EU foreign policy.

“Only last weekend the Baroness had an exclusive meeting in Finland with
seven other Foreign Ministers to discuss the EU’s approach to Palestine
and other foreign policy issues. The views of France, Spain and Italy
are worth listening to it seems but Ireland’s opinion not so. Far from
being at the heart of Europe, we are sitting out in the cold.

“I’ve checked with our Minister’s office and though they were aware of
the meeting. We were not invited. Our government may well attempt to
downplay the significance of that meeting but the Finnish government’s
press release issued on Monday speaks for itself. ‘A new approach to
building the EU common foreign policy was taken over the weekend’ it
reads. ‘We have progressed to the stage where discussions are already
focusing on content and policy making’, Ashton is quoted as saying. And
‘a continuation to the informal small group meetings was planned
straight away’. So be in no doubt there will be more of the same.

“I am calling on our government to spell it out to the Baroness, and to
the rest of them who are currently vying for the highly lucrative
External Action Service posts, that we are a neutral and independent
nation. That we will not be bound by foreign policies formulated behind
our backs or indeed by policies with which the Irish people disagree.”

[Wakeupcall]

Copy paste job

Of course our little Island is irrelevant...

[Clanrickard]

This was pointed out many times during Lisbon by the EUnuchs told us it wasn't so. We would be listened to, we were valued "partners" etc etc bla blah. No fan of O'Snotty and the Provos but they were on the money on this one.

[RichardDeClare]

On the money indeed, Ireland should have a greater input the foreign affairs of the EU considering that we were never a European Colonial Power, are more or less neutral and have taken part in a monumental peace process that is still taking place.

[Passer-by]

Well, there is SF's fantasies and then there is reality.

A report on the meeting is here.

Main points are:

1) The meeting was organised by Finland's Foreign Minister not by Ashton. In other words, the Finnish Foreign Minister chose who to invite or not invite.

2) 2 of the 6 EU states there are neutral (Finland and Sweden), so it is bizarre to believe that "scuppering neutrality" was on the agenda.

3) The reason that the Finnish Foreign Minister - Alexander Stubb - called the meeting is best expressed in his own words:

Speaking ahead of the discussions, which lasted roughly six hours over the weekend, Mr Stubb said: "A lot of us are going through a bit of an existential crisis. I admit that. Many of us are a little bit disappointed that we don't participate in the European councils anymore."

In other words, some of the Foreign Ministers are having a "mid-life crisis" because they suddenly have to share the limelight with Ashton.


Personally, given the economic crisis we face I'd say that Ireland's Foreign Minister should be out there backing up the IDA's efforts to market Ireland as a destination for investment. It is not as if we couldn't do with such an effort at the moment...

[Cael]

We were shown how important Irish opinion is, when the Irish dared to vote the "wrong" way in both the Nice and the Lisbon treaties.

[Supermanpolitician]

SF have figured out that a country with 1% of the EU population does not contraol our common foreign policy.

Next thing SF will tell us that there is a commissioner for external EU relations, in fact there are two commissioners with various roles re external relations, Kristalina Georgievaand Catherine Ashton.

[Gimpanzee]

"Midget country in Atlantic ocean lacks foreign policy clout shocker"

Imagine, a country with the population of a large city being unable to have an impact on geopolitics. Who'd have thought the EU could have such a malevolent influence?

[Sync]

I'm shocked that a party who have campaigned against every single European Treaty since the 70s are unhappy with the way the EU works. Next thing you'll know the UKIP won't like the euro and the BNP won't like immigrants.

[Cael]

SF have figured out that a country with 1% of the EU population does not contraol our common foreign policy.

Yes it feels great to be back in the Empire - where we always belonged!!