By Editor in Chief Jack Brady.
Ireland’s military industry and security were some of the main topics addressed at yesterday’s Ambassador Panel discussion on NATO.
DCU’s Politics society welcomed three ambassadors to Ireland to the U building to address a number of pertinent issues within the organisation in relation to Ireland and its future.
As Ireland is set to take over the role of Presidency of the Council of the European Union on July 1st 2026, security continues to be an issue raised by the state and its critics.
Each ambassador introduced themselves briefly before Chairperson of Politics Society, Benjamin Watson asked a range of questions regarding engagement with NATO, the challenges it faces, the interests of the EU and NATO and how they intertwine.
Before the discussion began however, as the French ambassador to Ireland, Céline Place introduced herself, a student stood before the room with a flag of New Caledonia, protesting the region’s status as a French territory. The student was promptly escorted from the room.
Watson commented that he “wouldn’t say it was a protest, it’s one person with a flag. No one hijacked the event.”
The French ambassador to Ireland, Céline Place critiqued Ireland’s stance on neutrality in the 21st Century, advocating for the state to join NATO.
“Your government insists there is no defence industry in Ireland,” she said, before adding that Ireland’s engineers will “benefit from this big investment” in military expenditure.
Europe and Canada spent a total of $559bln on NATO defence in 2025 according to the organisation itself.
The ambassadors defended NATO, detailing the unique geo-political reasonings for their respective nation joining the alliance, and their viewpoints on the future of NATO.
Céline Place reiterated France’s commitment to NATO, supporting the notions put forth by the rest of the panel before warning those in attendance that “we need to prepare for difficult times”.
Place identified the “operation on the eastern flank of the EU”, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as the biggest challenge facing NATO at the moment.
Czechia’s ambassador to Ireland, Pavel Vošalìk noted that he knows Ireland is “very proud of its neutrality…but other countries that are neutral have joined [NATO].”
“We have to talk about new investment into the military industry,” Vošalìk said, adding that Ireland is no longer the “safe country in the west end of the European Union”.
Turkey’s Ambassador to Ireland, Esra Cankorur agreed with her fellow ambassadors on the topics at hand, stating Turkey believes that “alliance will play a critical role in promoting stability” across Europe.
“We believe that NATO must remain a cornerstone of collective defence,” Cankorur added
Asked on whether or not events such as the panel discussion are important for raising awareness amongst students, she commented that “it’s up to you. You should decide,” adding that students need to enter dialogue about politics on their own accord.
Watson said the event overall was “fantastic”, commenting that “our tagline is discussing what matters…nothing matters more than NATO, the idea of neutrality, and Ireland’s place in the world.”
“The Politics Society was set up to break from young party politics,” he added.
The Ambassador Panel is an annual event held by the Politics Society in DCU. Tickets for this year’s event were sold out, and complimentary tea and coffee was provided.
Image Credits: Karl Ormsby