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On 11 September 2026 the Irish newspaper An Phoblacht published an opinion piece titled “The Forces Mustered Against Neutrality And For Militarisation Are Substantial, So Too Must The Opposition Be.” The article argues that Ireland’s policy of military neutrality is under threat from actions taken by the Irish government, the European Union, and the United Kingdom.
The author notes that Ireland has long maintained a policy of neutrality, which has helped the country’s peacekeepers gain a reputation for impartiality and has allowed Ireland to act as a voice for peace, dialogue and the international rules‑based order. The piece stresses that neutrality is not synonymous with political or moral indifference, and that Ireland condemns all forms of imperialism, colonialism and military adventurism.
According to the article, the Irish government has taken steps that the author claims undermine neutrality. These include moves to dismantle the “Triple Lock” system, which requires approval from the executive, legislature and the United Nations before more than 12 Irish troops can be deployed abroad. The author states that the Triple Lock was a core component of Ireland’s neutrality and that only 35 % of the public supports its removal. The article claims that the government has removed the requirement for a UN mandate, potentially allowing Irish troops to be deployed to a wider range of missions.
The piece also cites Ireland’s participation in NATO’s “Partnership for Peace,” the European Union’s Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), and the continued use of Shannon Airport by United States forces as evidence of a gradual slide away from neutrality.
In addition to domestic policy changes, the article discusses broader European and UK developments. It reports that the European Commission, under President Ursula von der Leyen, has committed €800 billion to a “Re‑Arm Europe” programme, which the author describes as a significant increase in EU militarisation. The article also criticises the United Kingdom for spending tens of billions of pounds on weapons, arguing that this militarisation comes at the expense of public services in Northern Ireland and across Britain.
The author references a recent meeting in Vienna organised by the Communist Party of Austria, where representatives from the Party of the European Left, the Belgian Workers’ Party and the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation discussed the challenges to neutrality and militarisation. The article concludes by calling for a broad movement to protect neutrality and non‑alignment, and urges Irish citizens to “serve neither King, nor Commission, but Ireland.”
While the article presents a strong opinion on the direction of Irish foreign policy, it does not provide independent verification of the claims regarding public opinion percentages, the exact nature of the Triple Lock changes, or the specific financial figures cited for EU and UK defence spending. The piece is an editorial perspective from An Phoblacht, a left‑wing Irish newspaper.
Article and image source: anphoblacht.com
