GfE Round Table #48 : Brexit and after, views from Ireland

We are delighted to invite you to the 48^th Grassroots for Europe Round Table on the theme of Brexit and after, views from Ireland.

Zoom URL is : https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88039610800 - join at 5pm.

For this session, involving views from Ireland, we agreed it would be good to talk with friends in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Following excellent recent cooperations with YEM-UK, we thought it would be good to build on their recently initiated collaboration with JEF Ireland (Young European Federalists, Ireland). Our colleague Jane Morrice, Hon. President of the European Movement Northern Ireland, former Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, and former Head of the European Commission Office in Northern Ireland has kindly agreed to chair.

Our panellists are:

Barry Colfer, Director of Research, Institute of International and European Affairs, Dublin

Tommy Monahan, Head of Finance and Admin, YEM UK; Co-Chair, Young Europeans NI

Sorcha Ní Chonghaile, Policy Officer, LYMEC; Language Officer and Vice President, JEF Ireland

Robert O'Donnell, President, JEF Ireland

Leah Rea, Head of Policy & Political Engagement, YEM UK

Some questions we hope to consider include:

• How has Brexit changed Ireland, the UK, the EU and their various relationships?
• Has Brexit increased momentum towards Irish unity?
• How well have the GFA and peace process withstood Brexit and what is the outlook now?
• Is there a consensus view in Ireland on Brexit, its causes, effects and possible reversal?
• Is Ireland at risk from the Right, polarisation, culture wars?
• How do Irish pro-Europeans, women and young people perceive the current situation – what are their hopes, wishes, priorities?
• What new perspectives, insights, initiatives, collaborations are emerging in/with Ireland which could drive progressive change?
• Are there practical steps that can be taken by our organisations following on from this discussion?
• How have the June European Parliament elections affected politics in Ireland?
• How does UK Labour's July election win modify Irish perspectives on future UK/EU/NI relations?

Please pass the word to anyone you think may be interested.

Registration is free but donations are welcome. We'll share the Zoom link with all who are registered 24 hours before the event.

The purpose of the Grassroots for Europe Round Table is to promote consultation, dialogue and shared learning to assist those working to rebuild UK-EU relations and hasten UK re-entry into Europe.

The RT brings together over 20 organisations as well as individual campaigners and experts. Reports of recent and past meetings are posted at https://grassrootsforeurope.org/summary-reports//

In 2023 we began a series of sessions with guests from one or more EU member states to learn about their viewpoints on these matters, their own issues and their view of the shared future.

We hope that a growing network of contacts between pro-Europeans in the UK and European allies can both speed and add value to the project of UK re-entry.