Ireland's EU Presidency is not an exercise in mere administration; it is a significant political opportunity, and this Government must not squander it. A Presidency that prioritises optics over action would be an abdication of our responsibility to the Irish people and to the future of our Continent. As we mark a decade since the North voted to remain in the EU, our Presidency must be anti-partitionist in word. The Brexit process was imposed on the people of the North against their democratic will. The Good Friday Agreement provides for Irish unity, and the EU Council confirmed that a united Ireland would automatically rejoin. The Irish Government must weave the preparation for reunification into the heart of its Presidency, and we must begin the groundwork for a smooth and democratic transition. The North should be represented, and Government must ensure the active participation of the Assembly and Executive in events and advocate for observer status for Northern representatives. This Presidency must be a force for peace. The EU has lost immense credibility in its response to the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Ireland must use its leadership role to build alliances and move the EU. We must push for immediate recognition of the State of Palestine, an EU-wide arms embargo on Israel and the full suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The EU must be a beacon for peace, not a bystander or active participant in atrocity. Crucially, this must be a social Presidency. While Brussels talks of deregulation and competition, Irish families are crippled by the highest energy prices in Europe. The Government must demand action to restructure the energy market and draw a line in the sand against any proposals that roll back workers' rights or environmental standards. Ireland is a neutral country. The EU was not imagined as a military alliance. Our Presidency must draw a clear distinction between EU and NATO business, and there must be no meetings of any military alliance on Irish soil. This must be an active, ambitious and proudly Irish Presidency, one that champions unity, defence and neutrality and fights for a social Europe. To do anything else would betray the trust of the Irish people.

Sentiment score: 0.21