February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Bertie Ahern would doubtless agree. Being taoiseach has its drawbacks these days, but a visit to the United States, and the United Nations, will transform Ahern, for a few days at least, from a prime minister under domestic pressure to a world leader drawing his share of the international limelight.
Ahern is gathering prizes and accolades during his visits to New York and Connecticut as well as brushing up old friendships with top U.S. politicians and leading Irish Americans.
But it is his address to the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly that will be of particular interest to those who like to observe Ireland’s role as an international player.
Ireland, as a quick glance at a globe will remind anyone, is on the edge of Europe with its rugged western edges seemingly pointing to the new world. Though closer to Europe geographically, Irish cultural connections to the United States are in many respects tighter than they are to, say, the far closer Germany.
But Ireland’s view of the UN’s role in solving the world’s current problems would appear to adhere more closely to the positions of Paris and Berlin right now than they do to Washington’s.
It will be interesting to compare Ahern’s speech to the assembly with that of President Bush. The former will be facing a mostly friendly crowd; the latter faced a critical one.
But Ireland’s role in world affairs is poised to become more prominent, indeed delicate, in the coming months as it takes over the European Union presidency in January. In that role the nation will be required to reflect the views of Europe’s capitals even as it charts a course for major EU expansion.
At the same time, the six-month EU presidency is certain to result in Washington training its eye a little more closely on Dublin. With that in mind, Ahern must carefully choose his words to the General Assembly this week. Dublin agrees with Washington’s assertion that there is no neutrality in the face of global terrorism.
Finding workable ground between Washington’s view on how to actually tackle terrorism and the noticeably contrary views being trumpeted from continental Europe will be a challenge for Irish political and diplomatic acumen. In this regard, it will be interesting to hear how the taoiseach plays his opening round at the UN on Thursday.