Ireland assumes EU presidency amid security concerns and political challenges
Ireland formally takes over the rotating presidency of the European Union on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, with a ceremony at Dublin Castle scheduled for 2pm local time. The event will be attended by senior EU figures and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is expected in Dublin as part of the ceremony.
It has been 13 years since Ireland last held the presidency, and the agenda is described as heavier than before. According to The Guardian, Ireland will be expected to help navigate political talks on new sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine, as well as tricky accession talks with Moldova, Ukraine, and other candidate countries.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin suggested that Ukraine could join the EU even during the war with Russia, saying the process will be conducted on a "merit-based approach." He told RTÉ's Morning Ireland that the EU "wants the war to end," but accession could still happen during the conflict.
Ireland also aims to reach a political agreement on the next EU budget by the end of 2026, according to Martin. In related discussions, EU leaders have asked Ireland to propose new budget revenue sources by October for the 2028-2034 budget. Proposed options include shares of CO2 permit revenues, an EU carbon border levy, tobacco excise duty, taxes on non-collected e-waste, large firms, extreme wealth, digital services, online gambling, and crypto asset capital gains.
Ireland has ruled out including more spending on defence than agriculture in the EU budget, a stance that could shape negotiations.
Security and legal questions
The presidency begins amid heightened security concerns. A French air defence warship conducted manoeuvres with Irish naval vessels off Dublin Bay at the weekend, according to RFI. The French multipurpose frigate, equipped with advanced air defence radar and up to 32 anti-aircraft missiles, was reportedly operating in the Irish Sea some 14 nautical miles east of North Dublin on Sunday. Two Irish Naval Service vessels conducted manoeuvres nearby, and the ships had their transponders turned off, making them invisible on open-source tracking platforms, although they were visible to passengers on civilian aircraft landing at Dublin Airport.
Ireland is expected to rely heavily on French and British military assets, including naval ships, for the duration of the presidency, according to The Irish Times. French naval crews have been given tactical radios by their Irish counterparts to allow communication, because the Irish Naval Service does not have the NATO-standard communications systems used by France.
Legal and constitutional questions have been raised about foreign military operating in Ireland, and Attorney General Rossa Fanning has provided advice on the constitutionality of such deployments, according to RFI.
Security risks identified for the presidency include cyber attacks, industrial espionage, drone attacks, and threats to underwater infrastructure. In December, during Zelenskyy's visit, five drones were spotted by an Irish naval ship crew near where his aircraft had passed, but the crew did not open fire due to lack of appropriate ammunition and risk to civilian aircraft.
Ireland is preparing a layered anti-drone response, including shotguns, helicopter-mounted machine guns, airburst ammunition, and jamming technology. However, anti-drone electronic warfare systems for Irish naval vessels will not be operational until January 2027, according to RFI.
Ireland's Health Service Executive suffered a cyber attack in 2021, underscoring the country's vulnerability to such threats.
Digital policy credibility questioned
Critics have raised questions about Ireland's credibility to lead the bloc's work on digital policy, given that many US Big Tech companies — so fiercely defended by Donald Trump — are headquartered in the country, according to The Guardian. This issue is expected to be a point of contention during the presidency.
Other developments
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will be in Berlin on Wednesday, as he tours EU capitals ahead of next week's NATO summit in Ankara, according to The Guardian.
EU enlargement discussions include Moldova, Albania, Montenegro, and Ukraine at different stages of the accession process, according to RFI.