Ireland has long been an outlier in the EU. We’ve just never had the courage to admit it
15 March 2026
Ireland’s recent hissy fit at not being invited to a pre-EU summit meeting in Belgium speaks volumes as to where Dublin ranks in the minds of our fellow EU members. Ireland didn’t make the final cut of 19 “like-minded” countries brought together by Italy to talk about economic competitiveness at Alden Biesen castle.
And while the Taoiseach may have griped that he didn’t “get the necessity” of a private club convening separately, the reality is that Ireland – in our own minds at the heart of the EU – is actually located on the periphery of the EU’s decision-making radar.
Nowhere is that more relevant than in the struggle for Europe’s future currently being fought in Brussels. Here, it’s one small battle after another, the results of which are shaping the structure and powers of the EU for the decades ahead.
And that’s why only a multi-speed Europe – in which certain countries decide to move to closer integration, with others opting out – can save Ireland now.
