John Whelan: Irish exporters need political tranquillity

Many were hoping for a stable European market but the reality in Germany and France proves otherwise

Sun, 08 Dec, 2024 - 14:15

An expert in Irish and international trade, John Whelan is a former Chief Executive of the Irish Exporters Association, a role he held for more than a decade and previously served as an export industry adviser to the AIB Bank Group.

It has been a turbulent week for international traders, with the French government toppled in a vote of no confidence, plunging the euro zone’s second-largest economy into a period of deep political uncertainty.

Coming on the back of a stalled German economy in a political stalemate with snap elections coming in February, it has created a very uncertain outlook for Irish exporters as they survey their sales options in their two largest European markets.