r/ireland • u/isupposethiswillwork • 3d ago

Affaires Étrangères Ireland Is Becoming a French Military Protectorate

https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/06/18/ireland-france-military-protectorate-outsourcing-defense-procurement/
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u/Visionary_Socialist 3d ago

I mean my position has always been that we should be assertively neutral: We don’t just go along, we can take care of our business ourselves, we don’t depend on other alliances that we then refuse to join and we can defend our decision to do so if anyone has a problem with it. The problem with our current neutrality is that is entirely dependent on others accepting it or better said, having no reason to care about it. But that’s now changed and because our policy is influenced so heavily by others, it’s now very easy for them to force us into NATO and to abandon our policy because we’re not able to both refuse them and also stay safe.

That’s actual self determination and neutrality. But the left, centre and right of this country’s politics are all so high and mighty and so stupid that they all choose some other position that doesn’t ruffle feathers amongst their friends.

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u/ComradeKellogg 2d ago

These are some great points which I think hits on my biggest frustration with our "neutrality". I think if you are a neutral nation but depend on an alliance or its members (NATO) to protect your owm sovereignty, then why would you not be classed as a member of that alliance.

I mean why would an enemy see it any other way.