Micheál Martin balances Ireland’s neutrality with EU demands on defence spending

Conversations on defence can often draw heat from those who would passionately defend our neutrality and — rightly or wrongly — see such discussions as a slide towards militarisation. But as a former foreign affairs minister and now Taoiseach, Mr Martin is hearing two conversations.

At home a “blissfully unaware” population can get exercised about the triple lock system and raise concerns about American troops in Shannon, all valid points of debate.

This article is part of a series based on the Irish Examiner's interview with Micheál Martin. 

But when Mr Martin and other Irish politicians travel to Brussels, a very different reality is top of the agenda, that of an "existential fear" which is shaping security and defence policy across the bloc.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner this week, Mr Martin, who has often been frustratingly cautious in his utterances on such matters, was not holding back in relaying the creeping anxiety felt among our EU counterparts.

“There's a real fear, particularly among the Baltics, Poland as well and Finland are concerned, that if Ukraine falls, or if there's peace, that merely means that Russia can pull back, replenish and come again."

“That means Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, in particular, feel very much under pressure. Some of those countries are cutting back on public expenditure to spend on defence capabilities. 

They're so fearful, and it's existential. We need to understand that this is not these countries being warmongers or anything like that, these countries are genuinely fearful because they've had history with Russia.

Mr Martin, through years of political experience, is not a politician who can be snared by a leading question. During our interview in the Taoiseach's office this week, he took issue with the framing of a question posed on the Michael Lowry technical group fiasco.

"I think that you've put it the wrong way," he immediately suggested, adding: "I don't think the issue has been properly interrogated by media."

But when I put it to him that in Ireland, we are “blissfully unaware” of a spiralling apprehension on the continent that is pushing member states to increase spending on military and defence, Mr Martin had no qualms about taking his comments in a certain direction.

"You've described it very well, you used the phrase 'blissfully unaware', I had the same feeling last Monday at the meeting [of European leaders], I was listening to country after country, and I was thinking; there's no awareness in Ireland about this at all. 

"It's not that Europe wants a war, it doesn't, obviously it doesn't want a war, but there's real fear in Europe about the Russian agenda and events."

In Brussels, Mr Martin is undoubtedly listening to the mood music and a confusion which is growing into resentment of Ireland, which is viewed as being out of sync with the EU27 on matters of defence and security.

A piece published in Politico last year described Ireland as the "ultimate freeloader" and accused us of failing to uphold our responsibilities in safeguarding Europe’s northwestern borders.

The article, written by Eoin Drea, a senior research officer at the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, pointedly referenced the fact that we control 16% of territorial waters with 75% of transatlantic undersea cables running through or near Irish water.

Europe and the world is at a terrifying crossroads. Faced with the threat of US tariffs from the West — which could be economically catastrophic for Ireland — we need the EU to stand united and strong.

But other States are equally if not more fearful of the threat from Russia to the East. These countries, some of which are now investing 4% of GDP on defence and security, are confounded by Ireland, where the spend stands far below the average at 0.2% of GDP.

Ireland's strong neutral stance is rooted in a complicated historical context, a history of nuances which may not be fully comprehended by other member states.

The Taoiseach must now appease a growing bafflement towards us in Europe, while protecting the valid reasons for our cherished neutrality.