Independent candidate Catherine Connolly, a long-time advocate of Irish military neutrality and a critic of NATO’s expansion and EU militarization, has won Ireland’s presidential election in a landslide.

The ballot count was still underway when Connolly’s main rival, Heather Humphreys, conceded defeat after early tallies showed her trailing by a wide margin. Preliminary results put Connolly ahead by 63% to 29%.

“Catherine will be a president for all of us and she will be my president,”Humphreys told journalists.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin also formally congratulated Connolly on what he said “will be a very comprehensive election victory.”

Although an independent, the 68-year-old former Galway mayor was supported by major left-wing parties, including Sinn Fein and Labour.

Connolly’s success was largely been attributed to capturing the youth vote, effective outreach, and social-media presence, amid growing anger over Ireland’s housing and cost-of-living crises.

During the campaign, she emphasized Irish neutrality and criticized the EU’s push to expand militarization at the expense of social welfare. While critical of Russia in the Ukraine conflict, she has argued that NATO “warmongering” played a role in the crisis.

Last month, Connolly compared Germany’s push to boost its economy by “championing the cause of the military industrial complex” to its rearmament in the 1930s under the Nazis. “Seems to me, there are some parallels with the ‘30s,” she said at a discussion at University College Dublin.

Moscow has long criticized Brussels’ accelerating military buildup, arguing the EU was essentially transforming into an aggressive, military and political extension of NATO.

While the president is the formal head of state in Ireland, a parliamentary democracy, the role is seen as largely symbolic. However, the presidency does hold a few key powers, including the ability to refer bills to the nation’s top court to determine constitutionality, as well as the power to dissolve the lower chamber of parliament and call for new elections in the event a prime minister loses majority support.

https://www.rt.com/news/626962-critic-eu-nato-irish-president/

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Ex-NATO commander claims united Ireland could aid Russia and China

The bloc must hold exercises in Irish-controlled waters, “whether Dublin agreed or not,” Chris Parry has said

The potential unification of Ireland would be a major blow to the West’s security as it could allow Russia and China to expand their reach in the North Atlantic, a former NATO commander has warned.

Speaking at a briefing for members of Parliament and the House of Lords on Wednesday, retired British Rear Admiral Chris Parry argued that if the UK were to lose its foothold in Northern Ireland, it would present a major opportunity for Moscow and Beijing.

He noted that the waters between Northern Ireland and Scotland are essential for Britain’s nuclear-armed submarines, describing it as “critical to our strategic deterrent.” 

“With a united Ireland, there is no guarantee we could deploy our ballistic missiles,” Parry said.

He also suggested that Irish unification would enable NATO adversaries to threaten critical undersea cables.

The UK needs to calibrate the threat to itself of a supine Republic of Ireland. My view is that the best way to help Ireland now is to increase NATO and Allied activity in Ireland’s economic zone waters,” he said.

Parry even suggested that NATO should hold exercises in Irish-controlled waters “whether Dublin agreed or not,” saying the bloc must be prepared to “fish in Irish waters for our potential opponents.” He added that the republic should move toward closer military cooperation with NATO and renounce neutrality.

“If anyone attacks Britain, they will attack Ireland… Neutrality cannot be seen as conscientious objection any more. If you are part of the free world, you have to be prepared to defend it. The Republic needs to reduce its vulnerabilities,” he stated.

Moscow has dismissed claims that it plans to attack NATO as “nonsense.”

Ireland has been militarily neutral since gaining independence in 1921, and is not a NATO member but cooperates with the bloc.

The idea of Irish reunification – merging the Republic of Ireland with Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK – is permitted under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. The accord ended a three-decade standoff between Irish nationalists and pro-British unionists by establishing a power-sharing government in Belfast and confirming that Northern Ireland’s status can only be changed if a majority there votes for it.

https://www.rt.com/news/626943-united-ireland-risk-nato

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