Interviewed by
Michael Neudecker, Berlin
Former history teacher Micheál Martin, 61, is one of Ireland’s most experienced politicians. He has been a member of parliament since 1989 and has headed the Fianna Fáil, one of the country’s major parties, since 2011. He was previously education, health, trade and foreign ministers, and since June 2020 the father of five has been head of government, known as Taoiseach in the local language. He was in Germany this week and is very much looking forward to meeting Chancellor Olaf Scholz, says Martin when he receives the SZ for an interview at the Irish embassy in Berlin. He first talks about Ukraine and Russia, calling the Russian actions “alarming” and “worrying,” but then turns to the issues that are currently occupying his homeland. Or rather: still.