European Parliament elections take place across the EU in early June. These will be the tenth direct parliamentary elections since 1979. About 400 million voters are eligible to vote across 27 EU member states. At stake is the make-up of the next European Parliament, the direct link between Europeans and the EU's institutions and it will shape the direction of the EU over the next 5 years on issues like climate, migration, trade and defense.
My guest in this episode is Billy Kelleher of Fianna Fail who is up for re-election as an Ireland South MEP and member of the Renew Group. We discuss a range of topics including the future direction of the EU and the influence of the far right, security and trade risks posed by China, and whether Ireland is out of step with the EU on adoption of policy tools and a physical trade presence in Taiwan.
