On July 25th of this year, members of the Free State military police took part in a NATO led training operation in Valencia, Spain. Named Angel Guardian, this operation brought together troops from various NATO member states, such as Germany, Canada and Bulgaria [1]. This war exercise once again exposes the sham of “Irish neutrality”, but it also is part of concerted effort by the Free State administration to deepen collaboration with NATO and pave the way for eventual membership of the imperialist alliance.
This exercise is far from the only incident in recent weeks that points in this direction. Last Thursday it was announced that a British surveillance vessel would be monitoring subsea cables in Irish waters, without any opposition from the Free State [2]. There has also been an increase in NATO warships docking on Irish shores. The British Navy ship HMS Enterprise docked in Cork Harbour with armed soldiers aboard in mid-June of this year at the invitation of the Free State [3], followed by the Canadian warship HMS Halifax in early July.
Currently the 26 County State is signed up to several NATO programmes, such as the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council which facilitates collaboration as well encouraging “neutral” states to apply for full NATO membership. Small numbers of Free State soldiers also have participated in a support role in NATO operations in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and most recently in Mali. British war planes are given permission to patrol Irish skies by the Free State as part of a special arrangement. This is in addition to allowing US imperialism to use Shannon Airport as a military base and collaborating with British forces to continue partition.
As well as direct collaboration, cultural events such as the Bray Air Display, which this year was to feature the Brit Royal Air Force and was disrupted by Socialist Republicans, are part of a process of normalisation. This process is intended to normalise the military occupation of the 6 counties in the North, as well as the presence of NATO forces in the South. This is part of a campaign on many fronts by the comprador ruling class to undermine the long held anti-imperialist sentiments of Irish workers. The “neutrality” of the Free State is entirely hollow, but the long-held goal of actually joining NATO has remained elusive.
We have also seen preparatory moves by the state to bolster military spending and bring the Free State army up to NATO standards: Simon Coveney as Free State Minister for Defence has announced that the military budget is to increase from 1.1 billion euro to 1.5 billion, the largest military increase in the history of the state [4]. This is still well short of the 2% military spending of the total budget that NATO requires of all members but is another indication of their determination to apply for membership.
In the wake of the outbreak of conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the Free State embarked on a massive propaganda offensive to try to drum up pro-NATO sentiment. Given widespread sympathy for Ukraine, they believed this was their chance to achieve they long awaited goal of integration. Absurd notions of a Russian invasion of Ireland were pushed, the weakness of the Free State army constantly highlighted. Leading politicians argued that the Free State should join as soon as possible, that military neutrality was “outdated”. The media onslaught was transparent, trying to twist statistics and polls to suggest the ground was shifting in favour of imperialism. This campaign began to falter however when it became clear in April that the working class in the 26 counties still stand overwhelmingly opposed to NATO membership, with only 24% of the total population supporting it [5]. This does not mean that the Free State have abandoned their efforts however, only that they have taken a more subtle approach which includes pushing for gradual integration.
Part of this approach has been to feign innocence. In late June this year, Micheál Martin attended the Madrid NATO-EU conference, attending a leaders meal and sucking up to the various imperialist delegates. Naturally he denied that this was part of a continuing campaign to join NATO, stating that he believes it is “important at international gatherings like this that we in Ireland are part of the conversation.”[6] This in many ways sums up the attitude of the garrison class, forever striving to be patted on the head by their superiors. The economic model of the Free State is predicated on cringing subservience to Britain, the EU and America. There is little doubt that the continuing failure to join NATO is an embarrassment to the garrison class, particularly when the great powers describe Ireland as the undefended western flank of Europe.
The pressure on the garrison class to join NATO has only grown with the proposed admittance of Finland and Sweden, two other supposedly neutral countries. NATO has clearly got Ireland in its sights: July 16th of this year, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg declared that the state is welcome to join any time. This was dressed up in the language of free choice, that it is a “sovereign Irish decision”, as if choice and sovereignty have ever been respected by western imperialists [7]. The semi-colonial domination of Ireland makes a mockery of independence and neutrality, and only the opposition of ordinary people prevents immediate formal integration into military alliances.
Already Varadkar has opened the door for joining NATO without any referendum, declaring in June that it is a “a policy decision of government(sic).” [8] With pressure mounting as inter-imperialist tension increases, such as in Taiwan today and between Serbia and Kosovo this week, it may be that the state decides to move forward with membership despite opposition. It is for this reason that anti-imperialists and socialist republicans must be vigilant and continue to expose and campaign against NATO and an EU army. A united broad campaign is needed to oppose the NATO presence in Ireland, to oppose imperialist war and the machinations of those who would drag us into them.
Too many Irish men and women have been sacrificed in the name of imperial plunder throughout the centuries. In the face of the demands by the garrison class and our imperialist overlords, we declare our solidarity with the oppressed peoples of the world in their struggle for self-determination and socialism.
NATO Out Of Ireland!
End Free State Collaboration!
Sources:
[1] https://twitter.com/defenceforces/status/1551553568351682560
[2] https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2022/07/28/british-surveillance-ship-will-monitor-subsea-cables-in-irish-economic-zone/
[3] https://www.corkbeo.ie/news/local-news/watch-british-navy-raises-eyebrows-24219760
[4] https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/b3c91-government-transform-defence-forces-largest-increase-defence-budget-in-history-of-state/
[5] https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/overwhelming-support-for-retention-of-ireland-s-military-neutrality-1.4853176
[6] https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/taoiseach-micheal-martin-denies-irish-neutrality-is-being-undermined-by-attending-eu-nato-leaders-summit-in-madrid-41802997.html
[7] https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2022/07/16/ireland-would-be-welcome-in-nato-says-secretary-general/
[8] https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/2022/06/08/ireland-would-not-need-referendum-to-join-nato-says-taoiseach/