Stephen Kinsella: Ireland must focus on mitigating the external risks to our economy

Tiny states like Ireland are affected by events like what could have happened in the Netherlands far more than they affect them

Geert Wilders of the far-right Party for Freedom and Mark Rutte, prime minister and leader of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, during the first talks inside the parliament in The Hague after the Dutch electionAP Images

I’m writing this from Groningen, a beautiful city in the Netherlands with one of the world’s oldest universities. Groningen’s buildings still bear the scars of World War II, and it is a place where learning and culture combine easily.

The contrast between what people are saying on the ground in Groningen and what you can read in the international press is, frankly, astounding. For the international press, the Dutch elections are the latest ...