As Ireland’s octogenarian President, Michael D Higgins, enters the last few months of his final term in office, a man who was always outspoken in his views seems to have dropped any presidential filter.
Higgins spent much of last year on what seemed like a one-man mission against Israel, making a series of wild and frequently incorrect statements about the Jewish state. First he claimed that the Israeli embassy in Dublin leaked a letter of congratulations he had written to the incoming Iranian leader (they didn’t). Then, at the height of the war in Gaza, he argued that Israel planned to annex parts of Egypt (they haven’t).
But any hope that he would choose to spend the last few months of his term enjoying the opulent surroundings of his residence, Aras an Uachtarain, and making the odd inspirational speech to youth groups have been well and truly dashed within the first few weeks of 2025.
Speaking at the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in Dublin’s RDS, an event designed to celebrate the innovations of Irish schoolchildren, Higgins decided to have a blast at the idea of increased Nato funding, as has been demanded by both Donald Trump and Nato chief, Mark Rutte.
In the face of Russian aggression, many European countries accept that they must increase defence spending, but Higgins was having none of it, complaining that current spending was already ‘shocking’ and perpetuates ‘war as a state of mind’.
Going further, he added, ‘[Increased military spending] may, we were told, cause pain in the present so as to achieve security in the future, in the words of the secretary general of Nato Mr [Mark] Rutte. He said we should have the mentality of war even at the expense of investing in essentials – in education, social protection and health.’
The remarks raised eyebrows from many of the journalists assembled, not least because Higgins chose to make them at an event designed for children.
The former Estonian president, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, seemed genuinely angered by the comments, accusing Ireland of being in a ‘privileged geographical location’ and enjoying the ‘implicit protection’ of Nato.
That’s certainly the case. As things stand, the RAF already keeps Irish air space safe, for the simple reason that the Irish don’t have an air force worth talking about.
Irish opposition to Nato, and a commitment to Irish neutrality, is baked into the national psyche. But that’s an easy position to take when you’re a small island on the far western edge of Europe and don’t face any immediate threats. As Hendrik Ilves pointed out, the Baltic states don’t enjoy this luxury. His fury at this Irish condescension on display was entirely understandable.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the only controversy Higgins has been drawn into this year. The President has been booked to be the keynote speaker at this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day service on January 26, and many Irish Jews are, to say the least, rather unhappy with the decision.
The event is organised by Holocaust Education Ireland which is not actually an official Jewish organisation. Instead, it is an Irish NGO founded by former President Mary McAleese in 2005, which says it ‘cherishes the memory of all the people who perished in the Holocaust’.
Relations between this NGO and many Irish Jews have been tense for some time. Their decision to invite Higgins to deliver the keynote address is, at best, clumsy – particular because he also delivered the address last year and spent much of it calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Maurice Cohen of the Irish Representative Council says it would be ‘inappropriate’ for Higgins to deliver the keynote address, adding: ‘This solemn occasion demands respect, sensitivity, and a commitment to honouring the memory of victims. His participation risks offending many in the audience, both Jewish and non-Jewish, who expect dignity and unity on such a significant day.’
Ireland’s Chief Rabbi, Yoni Wieder, went even further, saying, ‘President Higgins has neglected even to acknowledge the scourge of contemporary anti-Semitism in Ireland, let alone do anything to address it. He has failed to take seriously the concerns put to him by representatives of the Jewish community, and back in May he described talk of anti-Semitism in Ireland as “a PR exercise”. With that attitude, I fear his address marking Holocaust Memorial Day will inevitably ring hollow for many Irish Jews.’
There is now a debate among some Irish Jews and their supporters whether the best approach is to hold a total boycott of the event or to simply stage a walkout when he starts to speak.
That means the President of Ireland faces the possible humiliation of either talking to an empty room or worse, talking to a room which rapidly empties in protest at his presence. Neither scenario is appealing.
Pressure is growing on Higgins to gracefully withdraw from the event and allow it to take place with the appropriate solemnity and dignity. But, at the time of writing, there is no indication that he will. Either way, it’s a sorry state of affairs.
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