Silence not an option as global authoritarianism grows – Bacik

Labour Leader Ivana Bacik TD, speaking during Leaders’ Questions today, warned that growing authoritarianism and unilateral military action pose real risks for small countries like Ireland. She called on the Government to use Ireland’s forthcoming EU Presidency to defend the UN Charter, national sovereignty, and European democracy.

Raising these issues in the Dáil, Deputy Bacik set out the dangers posed by an increasingly volatile international landscape, pointing to ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine, brutal repression in Iran, and recent illegal US military intervention in Venezuela. Despite the seriousness of these issues, the Taoiseach’s responses to her today failed to set out any clear strategy for how Ireland will navigate growing pressure between the EU and the US, ahead of Ireland assuming the EU Presidency in July.

Deputy Bacik said:

“Small countries do not have the luxury of ambiguity when international law is undermined. This Government cannot pretend these developments are abstract or distant. The reality is that unilateral military action, threats against sovereign states, and the normalisation of authoritarian behaviour directly weaken the protections that countries like Ireland rely upon.

“This Government has been slow to articulate how it will respond as the United States, under Donald Trump, acts outside international law. The illegal intervention by the US in Venezuela raises serious questions, notwithstanding the brutal nature of the Maduro regime. Sanctioning the International Criminal Court, sidelining Congress through executive action, and issuing threats against allies are further deeply damaging actions being undertaken now by the US. In particular, it is hugely concerning to see Trump’s direct threats of intervention, even military intervention, in Greenland – despite Denmark being a NATO ally of the US.

“There is also a real domestic risk. We are seeing the spread of authoritarian politics across borders, with figures like Steve Bannon openly claiming to be organising far-right movements in Ireland. When authoritarian actors tell us what they plan to do, we must listen, and we must respond with confidence and diplomacy.

“The Taoiseach’s replies in the Dáil today were deeply disappointing. He acknowledged the difficulty of the moment but side-stepped the core question of what Ireland will actually say and do. With Ireland preparing to hold the EU Presidency in July, this Government has a responsibility to show leadership. The Programme for Government commits Ireland to upholding the UN Charter and promoting multilateralism. Those commitments mean nothing if they are not acted upon when tested.

“Labour is calling on this Government to set out, clearly and publicly, how Ireland will defend international law and European democracy at EU level, and what the Taoiseach will personally do to ensure that sovereignty and human rights are not treated as optional. Ireland must use its EU Presidency to be a voice for the rule of law and for small nations who depend on it. Our values matter, and this Government must act now.”