President Connolly to attend European presidents meeting

President Catherine Connolly has told a meeting with 11 other European presidents that "human dignity, equality, and human rights" must guide how the European Union responds to crises like climate change and war.

President Connolly is attending her first ‘Arraiolos Group’ meeting of non-executive Heads of State from across Europe at the Brdo Estate outside Ljubljana, Slovenia.

During her speech, President Connolly posed a number of questions to her counterparts.

"Can we credibly talk about peace, progress and security while at the same time tolerating the normalisation of war and genocide?" she asked.

"Can we address the existential threat posed by climate change, deepening inequality and the increasing number of people living in poverty, while simultaneously believing that we can continue with business as usual?

"Can we expect or deserve to retain credibility when our responses to these challenges, and to the abuse of power, are manifestly inconsistent?"