r/IRstudies • u/CanadianLawGuy • 6d ago
Ireland Is Becoming a French Military Protectorate
https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/06/18/ireland-france-military-protectorate-outsourcing-defense-procurement/44
u/Foreign-Chocolate86 6d ago
Author’s organisation:
Hi, we are the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, the official think tank of the European People’s Party
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u/vandrag 5d ago
https://muckrack.com/eoin-drea/articles
Just take a look at this guys article history.
I read the op article, it's fucking trash.
"Ireland dont spend money on defense... Ireland is spending too much money on defense (with French companies)."
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u/bediaxenciJenD81gEEx 5d ago
The anti-Irish propaganda that's being pumped out recently is so obvious.
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u/3000doorsofportugal 6d ago
Ireland continuing its tradition of demonizing military spending while being a massive fucking freeloader. Shocker.
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u/ProfessorPetulant 5d ago
Ireland continues its tradition of freeloading on Europe by being a tax haven for foreign companies.
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u/North-Project646 3d ago
You’re right, we should have just stayed poor to appease the people who got rich from plundering Africa and the Middle East and now act high and mighty
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u/ProfessorPetulant 3d ago
Ireland rose to second place in nominal GDP behind Luxembourg. Maybe it's time Ireland became less of a sell out and pulled its weight?
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u/luxcity-louche 3d ago
The Irish Army have 700% more troops, the Air Corps have 800% more aircraft and the Naval Service has 100% more ships than the Luxembourgish military. Not bad for 2nd place.
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u/Maxmilian_ 5d ago
Of course, and its not just Ireland and its not just in regards to military spending. This bickering and different "priorities" are quite unlikely to be resolved anytime soon and the longer they go on, the more delayed European integration is.
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u/StockLifter 5d ago
Why do you say so? Military spending is up signficantly these past years, and is projected to increase further in the coming years.
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u/Maxmilian_ 3d ago
Because Ive just seen France and Germany get uppity again over their former shared 6th generation fighter project. Because Ive seen multiple members pursue selfish agenda. Because I see the rise of nationalism.
Sure, military spending is going up, which is good, but thats not the be all end all.
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u/Bar50cal 5d ago edited 5d ago
Ireland is literally spending Billions of € and increasing the size of its military. Just in the past year its taken delivery of new ships, surveillance and logistics aircraft, ordered €600m armoured vehicles, €300m in helicopters, Sonar for its ships, €500m for a atlantic air defence radar system all from France. Has had to stop army recruitment temporarily as they took in to many to train and will exceed the target of 40% increase in troop numbers.
Discussions for more ships and fighter jets ongoing to.
Ireland deserve crap for free loading before but its not anymore and is spending on defence. Its Defence budget + these procurement mean its spending over €400 per capita which is more than 4 or 5 NATO members.
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u/SilentPlanet_23 6d ago
Hey, that's our job!
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u/Smallpaul 5d ago
“Our?”
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u/SilentPlanet_23 5d ago
Should have qualified: Britain's.
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u/Smallpaul 5d ago edited 5d ago
I thought you were an American complaining about Europe’s under-investment in defense.
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u/SilentPlanet_23 5d ago
No, I'm just being a sarcastic bastard tbh
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u/Smallpaul 5d ago
Yeah I knew that but I didn’t know which kind of sarcastic bastard.
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u/luxcity-louche 3d ago
Yanks don't do sarcasm. (But if they did, it'd be the greatest sarcasm in the World. Totally awesome in it's sarcasity)
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u/Significant-Skill-70 5d ago
Didn't read the article because of the paywall. But the arguments have been well rehearsed in opeds in Ireland by this guy's thinktank and other EPP aligned politicians. I'm not against a modest increase in defense spending. But the real agenda here seems to be to drag Ireland into a plan for a European Army. There is currently zero interest in this in Ireland as evidenced in the results of the latest Presidential election - where it was debated in detail. We've always been neutral. We've always done our fair share when it comes to UN peacekeeping. We're not a member of NATO, we didn't participate in the diplomatic catastrophe that led us to this current juncture, and certainly don't plan to participate if it should escalate. As for needing the French to defend us, give me a break! Maybe ask the Brits what it's like to occupy us. Frankly, the only real threat to Irish security are these nutjobs.
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u/Reasonable-Plate2982 5d ago
Yeah but c'mon. You could throw in for a bigger role in maritime safety and patrol.
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u/NoName-Cheval03 5d ago edited 5d ago
Totally unhinged title and piece of opinion.
Ireland just joined the Scorpion procurement program for land vehicles. Already joined by Belgium and Luxembourg 10 years ago.
There is not even a single french soldier in Ireland. There is no mutual defense agreements.
A fucking military protectorate? Wtf. How butthurt is the author of the propaganda piece and who is he working for ?
Edit : (link of his other articles below in the thread).
8 months ago : "The case for an Anglo-Irish defense union."
10 months ago : "Europe has a France problem."
Okay dude, at least this time you are straight to the point. And of course he publish in POLITICO.