Liberia Tables a Pragmatic Net Zero Proposal for the IMO

Marco Sylvester, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Affairs and IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez (IMO)

Published Apr 26, 2026 4:30 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

Liberia, supported by co-sponsors Argentina and Panama, is to present a new emissions proposal to the IMO Marine Environmental Protection Committee for consideration at the MEPC’s forthcoming 84th Session.

When the previous Net Zero Framework was presented last year, it heavily polarized IMO delegates and was met with stiff opposition, led by the United States. After one of the most contentious sessions in the IMO’s history, culminating in a vote on October 17 last year, the proposal failed to attract a decisive result, members voting instead for an adjournment to rework the framework for fresh presentation. The IMO takes pride in achieving broad-based consensus for the measures it proposes, knowing that unless this is achieved measures will lack moral force – necessary for effective implementation when international law lacks enforcement mechanisms.

The most obvious change in the Liberian draft is the removal of the proposed IMO fund into which fines for non-compliance were to be paid. This was seen by some member states as unnecessarily punitive, and weighted against smaller shipowners and tramp vessels. It was unclear how fines levied on “dirty” ships would be beneficially spent, and under whose oversight. In effect, it would have been a tax levied on shipping, but not directly on those who benefit from shipping services.

The Liberian proposal shifts away from a focus on penalties, and moves towards creating encouragements and incentives to speed adoption of improved, less polluting fuels. The proposal aligns targets to the availability of new fuels and take-up, and also aims to incentivize new methods of reducing emissions – not restricted to fuel types, but embracing well-to-wake emission reductions regardless of the energy source. It also supports emission-reducing technologies such as such as onboard carbon capture systems and wind?assisted propulsion, a key goal of shipowners’ associations. Targets would be set on a five-year cycle to reflect the availability of emission reduction fuels and technologies, but also to enable shipowners to plan changes to their fleet configurations in a cost-effective manner.

IMO delegates are anxiously waiting to see how United States representative Marco Sylvester, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Affairs, views the new proposals - and whether the new approach represents a basis on which negotiations and consensus-building can now be taken forward. While Sylvester appears to still be vehemently opposed, three previous opponents – Liberia, Argentina and Panama – are sponsoring the new proposal, and Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, which likewise had opposed the previous proposals, are now backing this pragmatic approach.

With a number of senior national representatives attending the MEPC session, discussion will inevitably extend to the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. The Traffic Separation Scheme in the Strait - which Iran is seeking to supersede by introducing controls and tolls - was adopted by the IMO with broad consensus approval in 1968. All nations who are signatories to the IMO’s Convention on Safety of Life and Sea are obliged to follow the 1968 Traffic Separation Scheme, and the convention has been signed by 164 nations, including the United States, Iran, Oman plus the remainder of the GCC countries. Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan recently observed that even if states had not ratified the Convention on Safety of Life and Sea, freedom of transit passage was historically well-established and part of customary international law.

IMO Passes Major Reform of Ship Registration Process

Changed guidelines are expected to help fight fraud

File image courtesy to IMO

Published Apr 26, 2026 3:30 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has moved to seal a regulatory gap that has enabled the rise of false flagging in the shipping industry, enacting new guidelines that will determine how ships are registered.

In recent years, the shipping industry has witnessed a significant surge in the number of ships flying a false flag, with Russia’s shadow fleet tankers being the main culprits. The shadow fleet employs many regulatory loopholes in order to circumvent sanctions on Russian crude oil, and one of the recently-adopted techniques is the falsification of flag registry status. 

According to the IMO, the number of ships flying a false flag has increased substantially over the period from April 2025 to April this year, with 529 ships falsely flying the flag of a country. During the period, nearly 40 member states had seen cases of their flags being fraudulently used without their knowledge or consent.

To deal with the rising problem and to streamline ship registration, the IMO’s Legal Committee has approved a new set of guidelines that are aimed at improving transparency and due diligence. The guidelines are intended to close a key regulatory gap, considering that currently there is no binding international framework to regulate the registration of ships.

The guidelines, which were approved during the just-concluded 113th session of the committee, will henceforth assist new and existing flag state ship registries in the process of registering of ships. Specifically, they will provide registries with practical measures to strengthen verification and due diligence, ensure accurate ownership records, and improve oversight of registration procedures.

“This is a welcome step towards ensuring due diligence in ship registration systems for the benefit of safety, protection of the marine environment and the well-being of seafarers, essential for the safety and security of international shipping. The guidelines will also aid in eliminating cases of fraudulent registration,” said Arsenio Dominguez, IMO Secretary-General.

In November last year, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) revealed that between January and September 2025, it was established that a total of 113 shadow vessels sailed under a false flag. The net effect of their activities enabled the transport of 11 million tonnes of oil valued at $5.4 billion.

The IMO reckons that African flags are the most notorious when it comes to false flags, accounting for more than half of all reported cases. Regulatory gaps including weak oversight, simplified procedures, lower fees and lighter compliance burdens have given rise to the use of false flags of countries like Malawi, Benin, The Gambia, Comoros, Guinea, Sierra Leone among others.

 

Spain's Sánchez builds anti-Trump coalition looking for political lifeline at home

Copyright Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

By Maria Tadeo from Barcelona

Published on 18/04/2026 - EURONEWS

Spanish PM led a progressive conference in Barcelona bringing together world leaders opposing MAGA politics, as Brazil's Lula lashed out at warlords and tech billionaires. "They're destroying democracy, workers and nature."

Pedro Sánchez rallied global leaders in Barcelona this weekend at a two-day convention billed as the “progressive CPAC”, crowning himself leader of the international left while grappling with mounting challenges at home.

The Spanish leader warned of an international “reactionary wave” fuelling hate speech, sexism, war and division, without explicitly naming US President Donald Trump.

"It doesn't matter how much they scream, or how many lies they spread," Sánchez said in a speech on Saturday. "The time for the reactionary, ultra-right has come to an end."

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva echoed the remarks, criticising those “who call themselves patriots but put their sovereignty up for sale and call for sanctions”.

Chants of “No to war” could be heard at the Fira auditorium in Barcelona.

The guest list included South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. All three have clashed with US President Donald Trump over tariffs and migration, while South Africa has also faced allegations of “anti-white” racism — claims echoed by tech billionaire Elon Musk.

A European delegation included German Vice-Chancellor Lars Klingbeil, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Italy’s opposition leader Elly Schlein, and Belgian politician Paul Magnette. Tax-the-rich economist Gabriel Zucman was also in attendance.

European Council President António Costa cancelled at the last minute, citing personal reasons, and skipped a gathering perhaps considered too political for his role.

Mexico's Sheinbaum participated in an event about protecting democracies but did not join the more political rally on Saturday. A US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement is under review by the Trump administration and delicate talks about terms are ongoing.

Progressive CPAC to counter global MAGA

Sánchez said the Barcelona conference — unofficially billed as a left-wing answer to the conservative gathering CPAC — would serve to unite “progressive forces” under a single banner. A source involved in the preparations told Euronews that Brazil had asked Spain to move the event earlier to spring, with April ultimately chosen as the date.

While none of the leaders mentioned US President Donald Trump by name, references to the American leader surfaced repeatedly, alongside criticism of his policies. From tariffs to the war in Iran, officials called for a progressive response to "a reactionary wave."

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who ran alongside Hillary Clinton in her failed presidential bid against Donald Trump, addressed a large crowd on Saturday during the inaugural Global Progressive Mobilisation, describing Trump as “trigger-happy” with no actual plan.

Walz denounced a seemingly authoritative drift under the Trump, suggesting "we need to call that what it is. That's fascism. Or at least it's fascist curious as they would be."

Brazil's president Lula joined in the criticism of the war in Iran, and greeted Spain's decision to deny access to US forces to use Spanish military bases to strike Iran.

"I want to salute friend, Pedro Sánchez, for having the courage (to say no)," Lula added.

A difficult week for Sánchez at home

By often taking an independent stance - from Gaza to the war in Iran - the Spanish prime minister has captured a global audience, leading a bloc of left-wing leaders.

Euronews first reported about plans to organise a convention for socialist parties and the international left in March.

Euronews also reported that Sánchez sought to capitalise on public discontent over the war in Iran and the unpopularity of Trump to boost his international profile.

His stance has earned him applause, but also criticism from the White House.

Trump has repeatedly said he “wants nothing to do with Spain” and has criticised Sánchez as a bad leader who is “not paying” his fair share for NATO protection. He also threatened to impose a full trade blockade, although no measures have been announced.

The convention wraps a difficult week for the Spanish prime minister after his wife, Begoña Gómez, was charged with corruption and is set to face trial following a two-year investigation. The couple have denied any wrongdoing.

Sources close to Sánchez speaking to Euronews describe the case as politically motivated and expect Gómez to be acquitted.

Sánchez, Lula Lead ‘Work for Peace’ and Equality at Gathering of Global Progressive Leaders in Spain

“While others open wounds, we want to mend them and cure them,” said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.


Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez (R) review the troops during a welcoming ceremony upon the Brazilian president’s visit at the Palacio de Pedralbes in Barcelona on April 17, 2026.
(Photo by Oscar Del Pozo/AFP via Getty Images)

Julia Conley
Apr 17, 2026
COMMON DREAMS

Arriving in Spain on Friday for a two-day visit that will center on a gathering of progressive leaders from more than 100 political parties across five continents, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva emphasized that the summit was not “an anti-Trump meeting.”

But the contrast between US President Donald Trump’s violent foreign and domestic policies and the international meeting, which will focus on wage inequality and electoral strategy for progressives, was unmistakable as Spanish President Pedro Sánchez opened the gathering at a press conference in Barcelona on Friday.


Spanish PM Says Ceasefires ‘Always Good News,’ But Trump Deserves No Praise


“We want to double our efforts to work for peace and for a reinforced multilateral order. While others open wounds, we want to mend them and cure them,” said Sánchez.

Da Silva—who is commonly called Lula—and Sánchez, as well as other leaders who will be attending the weekend event, have spoken out forcefully against Trump’s policies and the rise of the far right in the US, Germany, Italy, and other European countries.

Sánchez has refused to allow US fighter planes to use Spanish military bases for missions in the US-Israeli war on Iran and closed the country’s airspace to American military aircraft—plus doubled down on his condemnation of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war even after the US president threatened Spain with a trade embargo.

Lula expressed solidarity with Pope Leo this week after the pontiff denounced the Iran war, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who will also attend the meeting, took aim last month at Trump’s claim that her country is the “epicenter of cartel violence”—blaming the US for the flow of illegal weapons into Mexico.

Lula emphasized that the 3,000 attendees of the summit, which will include the IV Meeting in Defense of Democracy as well as a gathering called the Global Progressive Mobilization on Saturday, will “discuss the state of democracy, to see what went wrong and what we have to do to repair it.”

The Brazilian president added that “Brazil and Spain are side by side in the trenches together.”

“We are an example that it is possible to find solutions to problems without giving into the empty promises of extremism,” said Lula. “Democracy must go beyond just voting and bring real benefits to people’s lives.”

Sánchez added that “in a world that doubts and fragments, Spain and Brazil open a new chapter convinced that our countries have something the world needs: the strength to build bridges where others raise walls.”



The Global Progressive Mobilization meeting will include roundtables dedicated to discussing economic inequality and other issues at a time when, as one report showed earlier this month, the richest 0.1% of people on the planet are stashing more than $2.8 trillion in tax havens—more than the wealth owned by the entire bottom 50% of humanity.

The economic hardships of working people have only been exacerbated by the war on Iran, which has sent global energy prices soaring.

US Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) is the only federal US official planning to attend the gathering, while New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani—who has swiftly taken steps toward enacting a universal childcare program and announced a plan to tax second homes valued at over $5 million since taking office in January, is scheduled to participate virtually.

Also on Saturday, Lula and Sánchez will host the IV Meeting in Defense of Democracy, a summit first held in 2024 with the aim of combating “extremism, polarization, and misinformation.”

European Council President António Costa, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, and leaders from Albania, Ghana, and Lithuania are among those attending the meeting on democracy.

Lula said the large number of attendees is evidence that progressive governments are winning more influence around the world despite the rise of authoritarian political parties.

“Our flock is growing. We must give hope to the world,” said Lula. “Otherwise, what happened with [Nazi leader Adolf] Hitler is going to happen.”

Economist Gabriel Zucman, who joined Mamdani this week in publishing an op-ed calling for an end to regressive tax systems and highlighting a proposal for a 2% tax on the wealth of those with more than €100 million, or $117 million, expressed hope that the global left is amassing power by building a cooperative international movement.

“The good news is that, from Zohran Mamdani and [Congresswoman] Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York to Pedro Sánchez in Spain, from Lula in Brazil to [Green Party Leader] Zack Polanski in the UK, we may be seeing the early signs of a new cross-border alliance taking shape against global oligarchy,” said Zucman. “And I have no doubt that in this fight—the defining battle of the 21st century—democracy will prevail. See you in Barcelona this weekend to press ahead!”

President Ramaphosa Champions Trade, Democracy And Fair Multilateralism At Spain–South Africa Business Forum

President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Spain–South Africa Business Forum. 

Photo Credit: SA News

April 18, 2026 
By SA News


President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for deeper trade ties, strengthened democratic partnerships and a more equitable multilateral system at the Spain–South Africa Business Forum during his working visit to the Kingdom of Spain.

Addressing delegates at the Business Forum on Friday, President Ramaphosa said the visit underscores the shared commitment between the two nations to build a modern, dynamic and mutually beneficial economic relationship.

“This visit reflects the strength of our longstanding partnership and our shared commitment to building a modern, dynamic and mutually beneficial economic relationship,” he said.

Framing his address around trade expansion, democratic values and the importance of multilateral cooperation, the President highlighted the steady growth in economic ties between the two countries.

“In 2025, total trade between South Africa and Spain reached approximately 2.8 billion Euros. South Africa’s exports to Spain reached 1.3 billion Euros, a 10 percent increase over the previous year.


“This makes Spain our fastest-growing major trading partner within the European Union,” the President said.

He emphasised that the relationship between the two economies is complementary rather than competitive.

“Our countries do not compete. We complement each other, demonstrating how strategic partnerships can strengthen global value chains,” he said.

President Ramaphosa noted that more than 150 Spanish companies operate in South Africa, supporting over 20 000 jobs across sectors including renewable energy, infrastructure, technology and tourism.

He further pointed to Spain’s investment of over 2.1 billion Euros in South Africa’s just energy transition as a strong signal of confidence.

“It is a statement of confidence not merely in our economy, but in our future,” he said.
Diversifying trade and strengthening value chains

While acknowledging the strength of bilateral trade, the President cautioned that the relationship remains concentrated in a narrow range of exports.

“Even though our trade relationship is strong, it remains structurally imbalanced. It is concentrated in a narrow range of products,” the President said.

He said diversification is critical to building resilience, particularly as motor vehicles for the transport of goods account for nearly half of South Africa’s exports to Spain.

President Ramaphosa identified critical minerals, green industrialisation and advanced manufacturing as key areas for future cooperation, especially as the global economy transitions to cleaner energy.

“South Africa holds the world’s largest reserves of platinum group metals. These critical minerals sit at the heart of hydrogen fuel cell technology, clean energy systems and the future of electric mobility,” President Ramaphosa said.

He said Spain’s growing leadership in the hydrogen economy presents an opportunity for alignment.

“South Africa brings the resource base. Spain brings technological capability, investment and market access. Together, this creates the foundation for a new kind of partnership, a collaboration across the value chains of the future,” he said.
Call for fair global rules and inclusive multilateralism

Placing the discussion within a broader global context, the President stressed the importance of fair and inclusive rules in international trade and climate governance.

“As we expand trade, we must ensure that the rules governing global commerce are fair and support development,” President Ramaphosa said.

He cautioned that emerging regulatory measures, such as the European Union’s carbon border policies, should not disadvantage developing economies.


“But new regulatory frameworks, including the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, must not become instruments that inadvertently punish developing economies for emissions they did not historically cause,” he said.

While reaffirming South Africa’s commitment to climate action, he called for stronger support mechanisms within global frameworks.

“We are not opposed to the principle of carbon accountability. What we ask is that climate measures be accompanied by the necessary climate finance, technology transfer and transitional arrangements that the Paris Agreement and successive COP commitments have promised,” the President said.
Investment, industrial cooperation and shared prosperity

The President used the platform to position South Africa as an attractive investment destination, highlighting a pipeline of 85 projects valued at over 62 billion Euros across key sectors such as energy, infrastructure, digital connectivity and pharmaceuticals.

“Our message to every Spanish company in this room is that South Africa is open for business,” he said.

He encouraged Spanish firms to partner with South Africa as long-term collaborators in building industries that support inclusive growth.

“We invite you to partner with us not only as investors, but as long-term industrial partners, as co-builders of industries that will serve our people and yours for generations,” President Ramaphosa said.

Concluding his address, President Ramaphosa underscored the broader significance of the partnership between the two nations.

“We have an opportunity to connect European technological strength with African growth. We have an opportunity to build supply chains that are resilient, sustainable and inclusive,” he said.


He added that such cooperation can drive shared prosperity across both regions.

“Most importantly, we have an opportunity to create prosperity that is genuinely shared in Madrid and in Johannesburg, in Seville and in Durban,” the President said.

The President arrived in Spain on Thursday for a Working Visit that runs until 18 April, where he is participating in the In Defence of Democracy Initiative and engaging with political and business leaders to reinforce bilateral relations between South Africa and Spain.

The President is also scheduled to have an audience with King Felipe VI at the Zarzuela Royal Palace today.

On Saturday, he will be in Barcelona where he is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with President Pedro Sánchez at the Fira de Barcelona, before delivering remarks at the plenary session on Extremism and Inequality.

The President is accompanied by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, and the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau.




SA News

Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) established the SA Government News Agency to enable all media locally and abroad to have easy and fast access to fresh government information, news and current affairs at no cost.

Trump turmoil sees Spain’s Sanchez emerge as progressive star


By AFP
April 15, 2026


Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks during a press conference in Beijing on April 14, 2026 - Copyright AFP Delil SOULEIMAN

Imran Marashli

Spain’s Pedro Sanchez hosts a summit of world progressives this week with greater global clout as turbulent relations with US President Donald Trump bolster his image as a left-wing hero.

Clashes with Trump, virulent criticism of Israel and a championing of immigration have set the Socialist prime minister apart in Europe, which has in the last years tilted to the right.

The latest episode was his staunch opposition to the US-Israeli war on Iran, with Trump threatening trade retaliation after Spain denied the use of its bases.

Sanchez broke with NATO allies last year by refusing to agree to Trump’s demand that alliance members hike defence spending to five percent of GDP.

He is also the highest-profile Western leader to call Israel’s devastating two-year war against Hamas in Gaza a “genocide”.

For Ignacio Molina, a senior fellow at Madrid’s Elcano Royal Institute, Sanchez has earned Spain recognition for a “coherent” stance in the Global South, particularly in the Arab world and Latin America.

“It works out well for the government, because it has gained a lot of leadership, influence and presence in many countries,” Molina told AFP.

Of the countries adopting a similar stance, Spain is the “most relevant” because others are not in NATO, such as Ireland, or outside the European Union, for example Norway, he added, citing nations who also recognised a Palestinian state in 2024.

“Spain has achieved a weight among the European Union’s big countries that it did not have before,” agreed Joan Botella, a political science professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.



– ‘Trump’s nemesis’ –



Sanchez has gained attention in international media, penning articles for The New York Times and Le Monde diplomatique.

“Pedro Sanchez has become the standard-bearer for Western political opposition to the US president,” The Wall Street Journal wrote in March, while the Financial Times called the Socialist “Trump’s nemesis in Europe”.

Bathing in the new-found limelight, the current president of the Socialist International will host leading leftist figures at the two-day Global Progressive Mobilisation beginning in Barcelona on Friday.

Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum are due to attend alongside 400 mayors and more than 100 parties.

Sanchez and Lula will deliver the keynote address on Saturday at the gathering, which organisers say aims to rally progressives in times of turmoil marked by the rise of the far right.

Progressives must “unite, tell citizens that we belong to something that goes beyond domestic politics, our borders — and that is having a positive, humanist outlook,” Sanchez said on Tuesday during his fourth visit to China in as many years.

The rise of Sanchez’s stock abroad contrasts with his polarising image at home.

He has never commanded a parliamentary majority since taking office in 2018 and is under pressure from corruption investigations into relatives and former close political allies.



– ‘Absorb left-wing vote’ –



Botella said Sanchez was “playing the foreign policy card hard, because it’s an area he’s comfortable in, and in which a majority of Spanish public opinion is favourable to him”.

More than 68 percent of Spaniards opposed the war on Iran, including voters of the conservative main opposition Popular Party (PP), according to a March poll published in El Pais newspaper.

“Spaniards have a certain inferiority complex when they go out into the wider world. In that sense, the profile that Sanchez’s figure has acquired satisfies many people beyond his electoral base,” Botella told AFP.

On the other hand, the PP says he has used foreign policy exclusively for domestic purposes, to rally fractious left-wing forces and distract attention from the negative headlines.

Other Western leaders have preferred to handle Trump with tact on trade, defence and foreign policy.

Sanchez “is trying to use this image of a progressive leader, opposed to Trump” to “strengthen his political position” and “absorb the left-wing vote”, said Juan Tovar Ruiz, a professor of international relations at the University of Burgos.

“That has consequences at European level. Right now, I think Spain is in a clearly minority position,” he warned.

For Molina, Sanchez’s stance risked alienating some traditional allies governed by the right, such as Germany and Italy, but “in the end, what is gained is rather more than what may be lost.”

Irish government announces tax cuts after fuel cost protests


ByAFP
April 12, 2026


Last week's protests started with go-slow convoys on motorways - Copyright AFP Paul Faith

Ireland’s government announced fresh tax cuts on petrol and diesel at an emergency cabinet meeting Sunday after fuel cost protests that had threatened the functioning of the country’s emergency services.

Since Tuesday, hauliers and agricultural contractors have launched a series of protests over spiralling petrol and diesel prices in the wake of the Middle East war.

“As a Government, we hear you,” Finance Minister Simon Harris said at a news conference. “We have acted and we are taking further action today,” he added.

The cuts announced include a 10-cent reduction per litre on both diesel and petrol — and a planned increase on carbon tax will be postponed from May until the Budget in October.

Last week’s protests grew from slow-moving convoys on motorways and restricted access to Dublin’s busiest streets, to a part blockade of Ireland’s only oil refinery and restricted access to at least two other fuel depots.

Some protests were still going for sixth day Sunday.

Earlier, the government had urged the public not to panic-buy as pumps at many fuel stations ran dry.

Police on Saturday with the support of the armed forces deployed public order units to clear the blockade at Whitegate Refinery in southern Ireland.

Irish police chief Justin Kelly said the action was taken as a last resort.

He condemned the refinery blockade as “illegal activity” by people determined to “hold the country to ransom”.

The blockading of “critical national infrastructure” had “resulted in fuel shortages that are directly impacting on emergency services such as hospitals, the ambulance service, and the fire service”, he said.

Elsewhere, police dismantled a makeshift barrier erected by protesters blockading western Galway docks.

A late-night operation also targeted the blockade of the capital Dublin’s main thoroughfare O’Connell Street after multiple vehicles including tractors and lorries were removed.

Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan warned earlier that the continued protests were “unacceptable”.

“While we all acknowledge the impact of higher fuel prices, and seek to minimise that impact, no groups are entitled in our republic to hold our people to ransom in such a manner,” he said.

In March, Dublin announced a 250 million-euro package to reduce fuel costs, notably including a diesel rebate for road haulier.

The Fuel Protests: Blame The Government Not the Protesters

Monday 13 April 2026, by People Before Profit

Back the basic demands. Defend the right to protest. Oppose the frauds on the far-right and discuss the protest leaders, but let’s keep coming back to the real issue of unbearable price increases and where they come from. Workers, unions- let’s deepen the movement for a country we can all live in. [1]

The basic demand is right!

For several days Ireland has seen some of the most militant protests in years: roads blocked, fuel depots and the Whitegate refinery targeted, fuel supplies thrown into chaos. The government is under real pressure because the core demand is right and massively popular: price caps on fuel during a cost-of-living crisis that is crushing ordinary people. We have been calling for such caps for years.

Because the government has failed to act we have a cost of living crisis on top of a cost of living crisis. Since Covid prices have gone up by 25% but basics such as food and energy by a lot more. Wages have been cut in real terms. In the last budget the government gave massive tax breaks to developers and fast food chains and took support away from households.

Around 320,000 households are in arrears on electricity and gas bills. Barnardos say that two in five parents had reduced portion sizes, skipped meals or gone without food to feed their children. No wonder people are angry.

The government’s cuts to excise duty three weeks ago were tokenistic, wiped out almost immediately by the scale of the global commodity crisis. People were told to be grateful for scraps while costs kept rising. In many working class communities, these protests are popular for exactly that reason.

Defend the right to protest

The government’s decision to call in the army to Whitegate today is an attack on the right to protest, and we condemn it without reservation. At Whitegate, protesters were pepper sprayed and the Defense Forces were deployed to clear vehicles. This is the state using force against people exercising a democratic right. Protest to be effective must be disruptive and polarising but as James Connolly surmised, it is the “incarnation of progress” - strikes, protest and civil disobedience have been central to every social advance we have ever made, from the right to vote to rights in the workplace.

This repression cannot be allowed to stand as a precedent. Repressive powers used here will be used again: against workers taking industrial action, against housing movements, against Palestine solidarity protesters, against anyone who seriously challenges the interests this government protects. The right to protest is not a privilege the state grants when it is comfortable. It is a right that must be defended regardless of whether you agree with the demands of those on the streets.

Who is in this movement and why

We also have to be honest about the class character of these protests. This movement is led by people who own companies, employ workers and have access to expensive machinery. Though workers and farmers are present in numbers, they are not dictating the pace or demands at this stage.

Some of the most visible leaders have made racist, misogynistic and homophobic statements publicly.

But that is not the whole story. There is a real mix of people in and around this movement, including many working class people looking on sympathetically, in some cases inspired by the militancy of the protests. This has happened because the movement of organised workers, the trade union movement, has completely failed to give any lead on the cost-of-living crisis. In that vacuum, people will turn to whoever appears willing to fight.

Where soaring costs actually come from

Soaring fuel costs are driven by energy company profiteering, but also by Trump and Israel’s war on Iran. The Irish government refuses to act. It still allows the United States to use Shannon Airport like a military airfield, waving US warplanes through even as some NATO allies have refused. That is cowardice from Micheál Martin and this government, and it directly feeds the crisis hitting people at the pumps and on their bills. It is impossible to detach the fight for peace and justice in the world from the fight for dignity and social justice at home.

The far right are frauds on this issue

Some of the loudest figures attaching themselves to these protests are cheerleaders for Trump, for racism, and in some cases for Israel. They want to blame migrants, LGBT people or whoever else is convenient, instead of the profiteers, war-makers and politicians actually responsible. The people who gave Paul Murphy and People Before Profit hassle on O’Connell bridge this week were not farmers defending their livelihoods. They were political grifters trying to drag this movement in a poisonous direction. To anyone attacking us for standing with LGBT people or Palestine: it was not a trans person or a migrant who started bombing Iran. Working class power comes from working class unity and militancy - if we allow racism or homophobia room to breathe, we turn our backs on some of the most militant people in Irish society and we divide the working class as a whole.

A bigger movement is needed

This crisis also exposes something deeper. Fossil fuel dependence leaves workers exposed every time there is a global shock. We need a just transition, but one that lifts workers up rather than punishing them. The government and the Greens have tried to make ordinary people carry the burden through carbon taxes and higher bills, while corporations keep polluting and data centres consume electricity at cheaper rates than households. Those data centres are on course to consume 30% of all electricity in Ireland by 2030. Homes and businesses are being squeezed while a handful of tech giants are handed cheap power at scale. That has to end.

Time for workers and unions to act!

The anger on the streets is real and justified. But a movement dominated by small business owners and owner-drivers, with far-right figures hovering at its edges, cannot win the demands that working people actually need.

We must demand that our unions enter the fight. Workers did not cause this crisis. Energy companies, war-makers and a government that serves corporate interests did. The unions have the membership, the resources and the leverage to force real change on the cost of living. It is time to use them. Every trade union branch, every shop steward, every community organisation should be discussing what action can be taken and building for it now.

Our demands

While we support the demand for price caps we also want to go further. People Before Profit is calling for immediate action on the cost-of-living crisis:

- mmediate price caps on fuel and energy
- Windfall taxes on energy companies making record profits from this crisis
- €500 energy credit for all households, with €400 cost of disability payment
- Double payments for those on social welfare
- Free public transport to reduce costs for commuters and demand for fuel
- Ramp up retrofitting to reduce energy costs
- End the sweetheart electricity deals for data centres; make them pay household rates
- Ban the construction of new data centres
- US military out of Irish Airports and skies - Defend our neutrality.
- No carbon taxes on ordinary households - make the real polluters pay!

Our position

The central lesson here is simple. When workers are hit by a cost-of-living crisis and unions fail to lead, people look to whoever is willing to fight. The answer is not to sneer at that militancy. It is to deepen it, broaden it, root it in working class demands, defend it from repression, and stop reactionaries from hijacking it. We should take inspiration from the fact that the current disruption is forcing the government to act.

People Before Profit supports these protests, defends the right to protest, and is committed to building a deeper movement for a country we can all live in. We initiated the Affordable Ireland Campaign and will be talking to others in the Campaign about the steps necessary to build that movement now.

We will be on the streets next Saturday opposing Trump’s and Israel’s war, the main cause of the current crisis, and demanding an end to our government’s complicity with the war. We need a huge turnout to send a message that ordinary people want an end to the war and cost of living crisis that it has caused.

12 April 2026

Source: People Before Profit.

Attached documents

• the-fuel-protests-blame-the-government-not-the-protesters_a9499.pdf (PDF - 1.1 MiB)
  Extraction PDF [->article9499]

Footnotes

[1] Photo: Tractors on a quiet O’Connell Street Saturday 11 April with the Jim Larkin Statue GPO and Spire in the background.

• People Before Profit

  People Before Profit is an all-Ireland radical left organization.
  https://www.pbp.ie/

The US G20 Presidency Could Take Trump’s Pro-Billionaire Agenda Global

There’s a real risk that the US presidency could advance an economic agenda that prioritizes the interests of the wealthy while sidelining efforts to tackle inequality, strengthen fair taxation, and resolve deepening debt crises worldwide.



Miami Mayor Francis Suarez (R) speaks as US President Donald Trump announces plans to host the 2026 G20 summit in Miami, Florida while US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (C) looks on during a press availability in the Oval Office of the White House on September 5, 2025 in Washington, DC.
(Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Charlotte Friar
Apr 12, 2026

Inequality.org

In just a year, the wealth of the 10 richest US billionaires increased by $698 billion dollars, while low-wage workers struggled as the Trump administration pushed an inequality-fueling agenda. Now, concerns are growing that the same policy choices—those driving a massive transfer of wealth to the richest—could be projected onto the global stage.

The United States recently assumed the presidency of the G20—a major platform for heads of state and governments to address global economic issues. The presidency is a role that carries significant influence over global economic priorities. There’s a real risk that the US presidency could advance an economic agenda that prioritizes the interests of the wealthy while sidelining efforts to tackle inequality, strengthen fair taxation, and resolve deepening debt crises worldwide.

Instead of focusing the G20 on poverty alleviation, reducing inequality, or dealing with a pending global economic crisis, the US government focus will center on removing regulatory burdens, unlocking energy supply chains, and pioneering new technologies and innovation. This marks a sharp departure from the 2025 theme of “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability” and signals a shift toward exporting the Trump administration’s domestic agenda to the global stage.

This all comes at a time when inequality is rising across most countries, and many low- and middle-income nations face mounting debt and stagnant growth.

As the US government so blatantly prioritizes wealthy interests, it is a critical moment for civil society to step forward—organizing and advancing an agenda that breaks decisively from the G20’s all-too-often emphasis on preserving the status quo.

US officials are pitching a “back to the basics” approach—which in reality is a sidelining of issues such as inequality, poverty, labor, climate, and gender. It is also widely anticipated that the Trump administration will restrict avenues for civil society participation.

Current plans suggest a focus on the leaders’ summit and financial track; a reduction in working groups; and formal engagement limited to business stakeholders, excluding civil society organizations, women’s groups, labor unions, and youth representatives. Even acknowledging that past G20 efforts on sustainable development have been uneven, this “back to the basics” approach risks abandoning critical priorities altogether.

Recent G20 presidencies led by Brazil and South Africa demonstrated a different trajectory, placing inequality and debt at the center of global discussions. South Africa’s 2025 presidency elevated the urgency of inequality by commissioning the first-ever G20 report on the issue. Led by professor Joseph Stiglitz, the report described a global “inequality emergency” and proposed the creation of an International Panel on Inequality to guide coordinated action.

Against this backdrop, the Trump administration’s domestic policies, including the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), represent one of the largest upward transfers of wealth in decades, making it unlikely that current US leadership will champion similar efforts internationally.

Progress on global tax cooperation is also under threat. Brazil’s 2024 presidency achieved a breakthrough agreement to cooperate on taxing high-net-worth individuals. While extreme wealth concentration has increased in recent years, research shows billionaires pay effective tax rates close to 0.3% of their wealth—well below what average workers contribute.

Yet in 2025, the Trump administration has already taken actions that undermine these efforts, including withdrawing from United Nations tax negotiations, pressuring other advanced economies to shield US corporations from global tax agreements, and opposing measures such as digital services and carbon taxes.

Climate action presents another area of concern. G20 countries are responsible for approximately 80% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet many continue to fall short of their commitments. The US administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and rollback of domestic climate policies reflect a broader retreat from climate leadership.

The Trump administration’s emphasis on expanding energy supply chains raises the possibility that fossil fuel development could be prioritized over clean energy transitions, particularly if multilateral development banks are encouraged to increase investments in oil and gas projects.

Taken together, these signals suggest that the 2026 US G20 presidency could mark a significant retreat. Rather than building on recent efforts to address inequality, debt, and climate change, it may instead shift the forum toward a narrower agenda that prioritizes elite and corporate interests.

The direction ultimately taken will have far-reaching consequences, not only for the credibility of the G20 but for the future of global economic cooperation. As the US government so blatantly prioritizes wealthy interests, it is a critical moment for civil society to step forward—organizing and advancing an agenda that breaks decisively from the G20’s all-too-often emphasis on preserving the status quo.

Now is the time for people, institutions, and movements to unite and champion bold new forms of multilateral cooperation that serve billions, not billionaires.


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.


Charlotte Friar
Charlotte Friar is a senior policy analyst at Oxfam America.
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