I4C Trouble with Daly and Wallace

Things are wrapping up for the summer in the European Parliament so we’re leaving you with a big one. Mick and Clare are going deep into foreign policy, their positions on the big issues of the day- Syria, Cuba, Belarus- and the threads that tie it all together.The recent media barrage has misinterpreted Clare and Mick’s critique of the warmongering anti-China, anti-Russia rhetoric as towing the line pushed by those governments. In this episode they set the record straight - they’re not pro-China or pro-Russia, they are against the EU using Russia and China as bogeymen to justify militarisation.They’re also discussing the shrinking space for dissenting opinions and the dangerous tendency to label any view outside of the dominant pro-US one as “fake news”.Finally there's some talk about issues closer to home and the recent Disclosures Tribunal report on Garda whistleblower Nick Keogh.

This week we've got something different- we're airing an episode of  the Echo Chamber Podcast where Clare and Mick were interviewed by Tony Groves and Martin McMahon.They talk about foreign policy- particularly Syria and Iraq, the EU and recent attacks on the MEP's foreign policy positions in the Irish press. 

This week its I4C Trouble with Wallace and… Thomson. Clare is away and Mick and Damien are using it as an opportunity for an environment triple bill.First up is the EU Climate Law, the not-so-ambitious EU plan for reaching climate neutrality by 2050 which goes to a final vote this week. Mick explains why approving the law as it is amounts to a commitment to climate catastrophe.Then we’re talking bees- small creatures with a huge impact on EU food systems. There are big decisions to be made in the European Council next week on protecting the EU bee population and Mick and Damien are here to fill us in on that.Last of all we’re talking about rail, specifically the Southeast on Track campaign to reopen the Wexford/Rosslare - Waterford Rail Link which was shut down during austerity. There are some proposals to turn it into a greenway, but getting rid of a viable rail line is anything but green…

On this week’s episode Mick, Clare and Damien are talking about a country that’s close to all of their hearts- Italy! They take us through Italian politics, Italy’s impact in the EU and of course… Football.Then there are some updates from Brussels- They're talking about unmanned arial mobility- drones for postal deliveries and air taxis, Europol- the trans-European police force and the beefing up of its powers, how the environment often gets neglected in EU trade deals and the environmental impact of the military sector.

This week we’ve got something different for you. Clare and Mick recently appeared on Sina Rahmani’s the East is a Podcast to talk about national sovereignty in the age of global capital. This week we’re broadcasting that interview.Clare, Mick and Sina talk about the Irish parliament’s recent actions on Palestine, Ireland’s strange position as both historical underdog and member of the EU imperial core, and whether politics has the potential to be brought closer to the people.

This week the EU whistlestop tour is coming home to Ireland.We’ve got an entire episode dedicated to Éire - its role in the EU and how EU membership has shaped it. We talk about defence policy, the eurozone, the groups Irish MEPs belong to in the European Parliament and the Irish people who are making waves in Brussels.

In this week’s episode Clare, Mick and Damien are taking a pitstop in Germany on their inter-rail tour of the EU member states. Mick tells us about his glory days selling light up necklaces on the streets of Munich.They’re also talking us through the recent events in Belarus and the EU’s reaction to them, EU PESCO projects on military mobility and ever closer EU-NATO cooperation, and Afghanistan where the US is finally doing what it should have done years ago and getting out.Finally there’s some talk about recent developments in the Environment committee- what did and did not get included in the recent biodiversity strategy and updates on methane emissions.

This week on the podcast Clare and Mick are talking about the massacre that is happening in Palestine and Gaza. Opinions voiced on this in the European Parliament last week ranged from the equivocal “two sides” school of thought, to out-and-out messages of support for the apartheid state of Israel. They discuss the falseness of this “two sides” idea and the reluctance of the EU to criticise Israel, a state which enjoys a particularly privileged relationship with the bloc.This week was also plenary in the Europe Parliament- meaning votes on legislation- Clare and Mick take us through some updates on the TRIPS waiver, the Digital Green Certificate, counterfeit currency, climate change impacts in the Global South, data protection and access to environmental justice.

This week on the podcast the Eurotrip continues with a chat about the Netherlands, a small, densely populated country that rivals Ireland in its obsession with dairy and tax breaks for multinationals. Then on to some updates from the week: fishing, transport and foreign policy.Finally we discuss the horrors unfolding in Palestine and Gaza- Israel is killing Palestinian children and there’s no real criticism coming from the EU.

It was all go in the European Parliament last week: with decisions taken on Brexit, arms funding, space, Russia, Colombia and more….Clare and Mick are taking us through these latest developments before resuming their EU member state tour in France. Oh la la!