🧵 Irish MEPs’ mixed record on Ukraine is not confined to the Left. In Dec, an overwhelming majority of the European Parliament voted in favour to condemn Russia’s military build up, withdraw forces, & stop aggression on Ukraine. Almost half of Irish MEPs voted against or abstained

13 comments

1. 7 Irish MEPs voted for the condemnation — all FFGs. 2 Greens abstained. 3 left indos and a SF voted against.

   So weird that she says the mixed record isn’t confined to the left, when it’s left independents, a shinner, and Greens that didn’t vote to support Ukraine in December?

   But otherwise a good thread on the voting record.

2. The left and its great ability to claim people who are left aren’t left when it suits them

3. Hindsight is 2020, we are a neutral country not a part of NATO if anything its a good thing that half abstaining or against it shows impartiality.

   The argument at the time was more about isolationism and should the EU interfere with things beyond its boarders.

   Now since what has happened yes it’s clearly not a good thing but even up until last week there were serious doubts over wether or not Russia would actually invade over ground.

   So I can’t blame the politicians for voting the way they did in December.

   Edit: Spelling.

4. That thread needs to consider the affiliations of the MEPs – they Blueshirts are all EPP. That would be proper context for these “anti left” remarks emanating from the IT. EPP is the largest group in the parliament.

   For example, there’s no evidence that Mick Wallace is left wing from an economics perspective – dipping into pensions and such is not the most comradely way to go.

5. Everyone who voted against is on the left. How is that anyway mixed??

6. Naomi O’Leary is on a weird crusade against the Irish left

7. Can we get more context on this bill and what was in it rather than information from some tweets?

8. They are a right bunch of muppets, where are they since the bombs started flying

9. It is no secret there is a lot of Russian money in curtain circles in Ireland.

   It might be the one brown envelope that FF/FG didn’t take ironically.

   Also Russia has been passing money to opposition / fringe parties all throughout the west even in smaller countries like us. It would be no shock if similar is happening here. They want instability and social unrest in the West.

10. You know what could be a good idea? A journalist reaching out to them and asking why they voted that way.

11. I do enjoy the absolute knots the twitter crowd (special shout out to the other irish subs like /r/irishpolitics and that weird off-branch Ireland sub you can’t name) have gotten themselves into over this. Their entire political ideology is literally “Whatever western governments don’t like”,

12. Is the like the UKIPpers winning a bunch of MEP seats before Brexit? Nobody actually cares, so any moron who bothers to run gets into the European Parliament?

13. Isn’t more so because they have an anti NATO sentiment