Ireland was the poorest country in the EEC when it joined it and many doubted its ability to adapt successfully. Ireland has left most European countries behind in terms of economic growth and is currently at the top of Europe in terms of GDP per capita.
The Irish economy was hit hard by the 2008-2009 global financial crisis and was preceded in the policy by memoranda by other fiscally troubled EU member states. The Irish paid dearly for the real estate bubble and the problems of their banking system.
The Irish economy has regained the characteristics of a “Celtic tiger” over the years. Prime Minister Michael Martin presented the progress of Ireland and the pro-European turn of his government in the Plenary Session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. As he stressed, his country’s accession to the then EEC and its European course have historically strengthened its sovereignty and its reform potential.
From the poorest and most peripheral EU country. found himself in a leading role in the Eurozone, with a really impressive performance. Among other things, Ireland has become the European headquarters of the American digital giants, a fact that strengthens the pioneering characteristics of its economy.
The Prime Minister of Ireland addressed the MEPs, stressing that the Brexit adventure was viewed in a very positive way for Ireland by its European partners, thus minimizing the economic impact, despite the close Ireland-UK relationship.
The next political test is related to the special protocol that defines the rules that apply in EU relations. and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. These arrangements have been accepted by the British government and Prime Minister Boris Johnson, but are now being vigorously challenged by the latter. They protect the functioning of the European single market, but also prevent the creation of a border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in order to challenge the 1999 agreement that ended hostilities between Catholics and Protestants.
Ireland ‘s tremendous progress does not mean that all social problems have been addressed. The younger generation in particular is under great financial pressure in terms of the level of remuneration of many young workers and the cost of housing for young couples. It is no coincidence that the percentages of Sinn Fein, a party characterized by left-wing radicalism, are rising at the expense of the three parties in the ruling coalition, the center-right affiliated with the EPP, the center affiliated with Renew Europe and the Greens.
