When on January 1, 1973, Ireland joined the then EEC, it was still one of the poorest countries in Europe, with an economy dependent on agriculture and struggling with poverty, high unemployment and strong emigration. But two decades later, that same Ireland became the Celtic Tiger, embarking on a decade of rapid economic growth – with rates above 9% between 1995 and 2000 – fueled by exports of technological and pharmaceutical products. It is true that the real estate bubble would eventually burst in 2008, sending Ireland to the group of “bad students” of the now renamed European Union with Portugal, Greece and Spain – the so-called PIGS – during the financial crisis. But he quickly got back on his feet. Today, forecasts point to impressive growth of 10.7% in 2025, thanks to exceptional exports in the first half of the year, anticipating US tariffs, dropping to a much more modest 0.2% in 2026, before stabilizing at 2.9% in 2027.
It is this same Ireland that in the second half of 2026 will assume the rotating presidency of the EU Council. It was in preparation for his presidency that the Irish Minister of State, European Affairs and Defense, Thomas Byrne, visited Lisbon this week. And in conversation with DN, he recalled how, “when he was a child, the greatest benefits [de estar na UE] were money transfers” and how “the EU has contributed a lot to our[ da Irlanda] infrastructure.” Today, especially after seeing what happened in the United Kingdom after Brexit, the Irish have no doubt that “the EU is very, very good for Ireland.” Whether it is the ease of travel or the advantages for the economy, “the pros far outweigh the cons.”
With an EU presidency that promises to focus on competitiveness and the defense of European values and democracy, Ireland does not forget, of course, defense and security among its priorities. Especially because the drones detected over the Irish Sea during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Dublin at the beginning of the month leave no doubt that Ireland is not safe from what the President of the European Council, António Costa, identified days later as “another hybrid attack from Russia”.
Despite the threat, Byrne guarantees that Ireland does not intend to follow the path of Sweden and Finland which, after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, abandoned military neutrality and joined NATO. But he points out: “We are not part of a defense alliance. But when Russia invaded Ukraine, we were neither morally nor politically neutral.”
Assuring that he learned from the last Portuguese presidency of the EU, in 2021, in the midst of Covid, that it is necessary to “deal with problems as they arise”, the Irish minister also highlighted what, despite all the differences, unites the two countries: “The commitment to multilateralism, the commitment to maintaining good relations on both sides of the Atlantic, and to being pragmatic and constructive partners at the European table.”
Executive editor of Diário de Notícias