When Independent Clare Daly was a member of the European Parliament, she became one of its most internationally well-known members due to foreign policy statements that echoed the viewpoints of authoritarian regimes.
Catherine Connolly sat at Daly’s right hand as the Dubliner launched her unsuccessful re-election campaign last year.
“I have no problem saying I absolutely support Clare Daly,” Connolly said at the event. “I wish I could canvass every day for her on the streets of Dublin.”
Will the now president-elect use the platform of the Irish presidency in a similar way to how Daly used her seat in the European Parliament?
RM Block
There are certainly signs that she intends to be outspoken.
The idea that the Irish president should express views on foreign affairs that differ from those of the government is quite recent, only becoming solidified under the second term of Michael D Higgins.
The president was previously considered to be a non-partisan figure who represented Ireland as a whole and did not enter into divisive debates.
The unprecedented prominence of foreign affairs in the recent election campaign reflects how Higgins transformed public perceptions of the role.
Connolly promised to be “a courageous voice” on foreign affairs as one of three pledges on her election leaflet: “As President, I will use my voice to promote peace at home and abroad.”
Throughout her campaign, Connolly advocated for strongly-held positions on international affairs that are likely to raise eyebrows elsewhere.
Defence has become a dominant topic for the EU since the United States signalled it would no longer guarantee its allies’ security, spurring efforts to increase Europe’s ability to defend itself alone.
The issue has an immediacy for countries bordering Russia that it lacks in Ireland.
“Maybe I sound crazy, but I would say that if Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were not part of the European Union but especially of Nato, I don’t think that they would be on the map right now,” Christo Atanasov Kostov, professor in history and international relations at Spain’s IE University, said this week.
Connolly’s position that Ireland should oppose European efforts to increase defence capabilities was prominent in her campaign.
“Instead of following the increasingly prevalent rhetoric in the European Union calling for more arms”, Ireland should be an “independent voice, carried above the shouts of those who beat the drums of war”, she wrote to Irish Times reporters in response to questions.
“The US, England and France are deeply entrenched in an arms industry which causes bloodshed across the world – as a staunch advocate for neutrality, this behaviour must be condemned,” she said.
These are tough words for some of Ireland’s closest allies, and she had plenty for the EU too.
“The EU has become increasingly militarised under the leadership of Ursula von der Leyen and the European People’s Party,” she wrote. “As Irish people, we must resist this trend towards imperialism.”
Connolly has described Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “illegal” and “horrific”, but typically included criticism of Nato or the United States as well, whenever she commented on it.
“I have criticised Nato as its warmongering and escalation towards conflict over the years is at odds with achieving peace in regions across the world,” she said when asked about this tendency.
When it comes to Ireland’s own defence, the incoming supreme commander of the Defence Forces confirmed that she believes “Ireland does not need an army”.
She clarified that she meant offensive capabilities by this, as she believed this contravenes neutrality.
“Defence Forces are defined by their civic duties at home and their peacekeeping work abroad,” she explained.
When pressed, Connolly has reassured reporters that she will be well able to reconcile her strong views with the presidency’s diplomatic role.
She gave an example in a recent podcast interview, recalling a brief but cordial meeting with “Frau von der Leyen” when the European Commission president visited the Oireachtas.
One can have “strong opinions” and then “jump into a different role”, Connolly said. “One has to switch, and I did it all the time as leas-cheann comhairle”.
