In the dark days of December, the Irish ruling class through their government, not once, not twice but three times displayed their contempt for the concept of democracy and political and economic sovereignty. They rushed through the Dail their proposals to abandon the Triple Lock governing the deployment of Irish military forces abroad.
They also accepted, without a murmur of opposition, EU proposals to further undermine the Irish fishing industry. Then they voted to accept CETA and its Investor Court System (ICS) which has been specifically set up to put the interests of capitalist companies ahead of public policy of signature countries, irrespective of the wishes of governments.
The government claims that removing the need for UN Security Council agreement before Irish troops can be deployed is necessary because the veto held by the 5 permanent members of the Security Council gives Russia and the PRC a veto over Irish sovereignty. The 26 counties joined the UN in December 1955 and the veto was in place then and it was never seen as an issue during the Cold War. It only became an issue when US imperialism decided it wished to act unilaterally to maintain its hegemony.
Had the Irish government been serious in their concern for Irish sovereignty they would have opposed the ICS element of CETA. The raison d’etre of the ICS is to ensure that national courts cannot be used to defend national interests against capitalist industry. The Irish government has no problem with this attack upon sovereignty and democracy.
These three decisions, as well as the EU/Mercosur deal, ratification of which has delayed due to the resistance of European farming groups, shows how Irish neutrality and sovereignty has been undermined since accession to the then EEC on January 1st 1973.
Some supporters of Irish neutrality and sovereignty fully support continued EU membership and do not accept that the logic of EU membership is the complete abandonment of both.
In March 1962, the Irish Workers’s Party, (the Communist Party in the 26 counties from 1948 to 1970) at its 4thCongress stated, “Entry into the Common Market would mean an end to our independent foreign policy and, ultimately the loss of our political independence. (Taoiseach) Mr Lemass admitted…in January 1962, that we would no longer be able to play the same role in the UN after we joined the Common Market.”
It further stated that “[t]he pro-imperialist tendency is becoming more marked since our application to join the Common Market. The FF leadership has now moved over to the FG position…and openly advocate entry into Western military pacts.”
The Irish fishing industry was sacrificed as a condition for EEC membership and now the EU Commission, with the agreement of the Irish ruling class are determined to finish it off. Back in 1962 the Communists pointed out that “it is the openly-proclaimed policy of the Common Market to wipe out the small farmer and to create huge factory farms. Since the majority of our farms are small, this would have a catastrophic effect on the countryside.”
Current EU policy, such as the Mercosur deal will continue this policy of “rationalisation” which will see even fewer farmers. This process has been going on since the Great Hunger, it is the logic of the capitalist system. It has also led to less food security for the country, a point underscored by then British Tory Minister Preti Patel who urged the British government to stop the export of food to Ireland as a bargaining tactic with the EU.
The assault on neutrality and sovereignty are not “accidental” by products of EU membership. They are central to it. To develop a sustainable Irish economy and pursue an independent foreign policy, withdrawal from the EU is necessary. However, as has been shown by Britain, withdrawal on its own is not sufficient.
Only socialism will guarantee Irish independence. It is time for all those forces who claim to be on the left to forget their plans to manage capitalism in a more equitable manner and work towards its destruction.
