Wind energy for Germany from the North Atlantic, deeper economic cooperation and the consequences of Brexit for Ireland: these were the topics of a working visit by a delegation from German-Irish Parliamentary Group in Dublin, Galway and Belfast from 17 to 20 June 2024.
Ireland as an international gateway to the EU
“The EU does not stop with Great Britain,” says Dr. Stephan Pilsinger (CDU/CSU), Chairman of the German-Irish Parliamentary Groupto the point, what kind of worldview many have come to terms with in relation to the British Isles after London’s exit from the EU. After the Brexit uproar, the media has become quiet – including about the green island, as Ireland is also called because of its humid climate in the North Atlantic and its lush meadows and pastures.
The Republic of Ireland, once considered the poorhouse of Europe and which millions of emigrants turned their backs on, is now a highly developed country that is part of the Eurozone as an EU member and, with its English-speaking and well-educated population, is considered an attractive business location that international companies use as a gateway to the EU. Ireland is also popular with holidaymakers. Numerous Irish brands have achieved widespread international recognition.
Traditional relationships on the rise
Pilsinger warns that the traditionally very good German-Irish relations with this “uncomplicated EU partner” must be further cultivated, precisely because of this fact that has apparently become a matter of course. “The parliamentarians are making their contribution to this.”
In addition, the Northern Ireland conflict, which was thought to have been resolved, has now become more acute since Britain’s exit. “It is astonishing how present the tensions continue to be, especially in the north,” says Pilsinger.
And the Irish, as well as international investors and customers, have discovered the island’s constant wind as a clean energy source. Pilsinger: “Ireland is the Saudi Arabia of wind.”
Members of Parliament, business representatives, wind entrepreneurs
The German MPs discussed these issues in the capital Dublin and during trips to the west coast and Northern Ireland, reports the chairman of the parliamentary group. In the Irish parliament, Dáil Éireann, they met with their colleagues from the local friendship group, the members of the committee on the Good Friday Agreement and the Speaker of the House of Commons, Seán Ó Feargaíl.
Business representatives met the members of the Bundestag in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. They also visited company headquarters such as the “Europe, Middle East and Africa headquarters” of the Internet giant Google and learned about the problems that companies are having with the new border situation between the Republic of Ireland and British Northern Ireland after Brexit.
New problems in the border region
The German MPs in Dundalk, north of Dublin, heard from those affected what the United Kingdom’s exit from the EU and the resulting new external border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, means for companies and commercial traffic in the border region.
Although the situation is no longer as tense as it was in the first weeks after Brexit, the renewed division and the effects of border controls are clearly felt, especially in the form of traffic jams, reports Pilsinger.
Complicated relationship with Great Britain
The CSU politician recalls that the hope was once to be able to continue the détente between the two population groups and the two states on the island within the framework of the European Union, in whose common market borders are becoming increasingly less important. In 1973, Ireland, Great Britain and Denmark joined the European Union.
Four years ago, Great Britain left the Community after a narrow majority of participants in a referendum voted in favour of it. The relationship between the Community and the former member state has become very complicated since then.
Practical solution not found
With the Good Friday Agreement concluded in April 1998 between the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the conflicting parties in Northern Ireland, the previously violent dispute over the part of the country belonging to Great Britain was transformed into the search for a political solution.
However, Brexit has dashed hopes for further peace and has even reversed what has already been achieved. A practical solution, including for the border problems, has not been found. London is understandably pursuing a hard line on the issue of the new customs border, said Pilsinger.
“Perhaps it will now be possible under a new Prime Minister in the United Kingdom to achieve more normality for the people of Northern Ireland and Ireland in negotiations with the European Union, in which the commonalities and successes of the last decades are put in the foreground instead of the differences,” hopes the MP, who was directly elected to the German Bundestag in his Munich constituency.
Northern Ireland conflict continues to simmer
Overall, Britain’s exit from the EU has reignited the conflict over the division of the island and the tensions between Catholic Irish and Protestant residents. “It is astonishing how deep the division between the two population groups is, how present the tensions are, especially in the north, in Belfast, despite the reconciliation efforts and the agreements that have now been reached,” says Pilsinger.
In Belfast, the members of the Bundestag gained an up-to-date impression of the political conflict, which continues to lead to acts of violence, and examined the lines of conflict in the city’s society. Peace will continue to be secured by a strict separation of the religious groups and their different residential areas, especially through the so-called “Peace Walls”, the gates of which are locked at night.
Hope for rapprochement between population groups
The German visitors’ program therefore also included a conversation with members of the traditional peace initiative Corrymeela, which has been striving for reconciliation and conflict resolution for half a century. The politician and doctor from Munich believes that it is understandable that reconciliation between two parties that initially fought bitterly requires a lot of patience. “But small successes in bringing the two population groups closer together are valuable signs of hope in this issue that is still very tangible throughout Ireland.”
The Northern Ireland conflict also played a role in the most recent elections to the European Parliament in the Republic of Ireland and the parliamentary elections in the United Kingdom. While the pro-Irish Catholic Sinn Fein party, which advocates a unification of both parts of Ireland, fell well short of expectations in the south, it was able to claim victory in the north for the first time.
Ireland as a modern partner in the EU
Despite these peculiarities and challenges on the divided island, in which we will not interfere with advice from outside, the focus in relations with the Republic of Ireland is on cooperation with a modern, emerging economy, explains Pilsinger.
All levels, all areas of cooperation, in society, culture, politics, business and science, are supported by a dense network of relationships and cooperation. As parliamentarians, we work to deepen these relationships in their entirety and look for further opportunities for cooperation and examples from which we can learn from one another.
Prosperous business location
Beyond the ministries and specialist committees, the parliamentary group is able to set its own thematic priorities. Both at the meetings with the friendship group and at all other appointments, a “very friendly and open atmosphere” prevailed, emphasises the CSU politician. Both sides are aware of the importance of both countries for each other.
In the decades since joining the EU, Ireland has developed into a prosperous economic location, which today accounts for almost three percent of the Community’s economic output. The country, which has now grown to over five million inhabitants, continues to cultivate its world-famous traditions.
Skilled labor shortage slows growth
Numerous international corporations, including major tech companies such as Google, run their European business and beyond from the island. Investors, particularly from the USA, use Ireland as a springboard for their activities in the EU. This is due not least to English as the national language and attractive tax rates, but above all to the well-educated population.
The fact that Ireland is not a problem-free zone is demonstrated not only by the historical conflict over the north but also by the acute shortage of skilled workers, which is now slowing growth on the island. Numerous job offers attract foreign workers, which is why a large number of Germans work in the cosmopolitan metropolis of Dublin, says Pilsinger.
Windy West
New tasks and opportunities are being added to traditional sectors and areas of cooperation. For example, when it comes to developing new, CO2-free energy sources such as wind on an industrial scale and producing green hydrogen. Germany and German companies are acting both as investors and with technological know-how and are bringing this into their own projects and partnerships.
The island not only benefits from a consistent wind, but has also developed its own solutions to use this natural resource and also has a lot to show for itself in the areas of digitalization and artificial intelligence, says Pilsinger. “Germany can learn a lot from how Ireland promotes new technologies.”
Irish wind power for green hydrogen
The parliamentarians got an idea of how wind energy is generated near the western Irish coastal town of Galway. The energy producer SSE Renewables is building a large number of new plants on land and at sea. This entrepreneurial commitment is being supported by nature conservation projects funded by EU funds, such as the reactivation of moorland areas.
Irish “wind power” that is not needed locally could in future be used to supply energy throughout Europe, including Germany, explains Pilsinger. In addition, the climate-neutral electricity could be used to produce green hydrogen and ship it.
The Saudi Arabia of Wind
“Energy has become a central issue for the German-Irish partnership,” says the CSU politician, who calls the island in the North Atlantic “the Saudi Arabia of wind” in reference to the Arab energy superpower. Both sides can only win by expanding this economic sector: “Cheap electricity production using wind power is the future for Ireland. And the German economy can further diversify its energy supply and become more climate-friendly.”
The fact that the small island has not forgotten its roots was also made clear to the MPs during their visit to the traditional University of Galway, the only university in Ireland where all courses are taught in Irish. With its work, the German-Irish Parliamentary Group wants to help breathe life into all facets of bilateral relations and provide impetus for this, assures Pilsinger. The members will incorporate the impressions gained during the visit into their parliamentary work in Berlin.
In addition to the chairman of the parliamentary group, Dr. Stephan Pilsinger (CDU/CSU), Ariane Fäscher (SPD)Vice-Chairman, Linda Heitmann (Alliance 90/The Greens)Vice-Chairman and Albrecht Glaser (AfD)member of the Parliamentary Group, took part in the trip. (ll/26.08.2024)
