All the Times Sinn Féin Sat on Their Hands for Russia in the European Parliament

Sinn Féin Lies, Ukrainians Die!

Sinn Féin has a complicated history with the European Union. When I say complicated, I mean that they share the same views as the Reform party, and their DNA is deeply Eurosceptic and dripping in the kind of ethnonationalism that is not all that dissimilar to what you might see in Orbán’s Hungary or Putin’s Russia.

Sinn Féin and Ireland’s independent MEPs are aligned with the imaginatively named ‘The Left’ in the European Parliament, you guessed it, a left-leaning, socialist group whose voting record aligns with Russian interests a lot in parliament. The Left is the smallest political group in the EU parliament, similar to People Before Profit in the Dáil but just as loud and obnoxious. It’s not the only thing PBP have in common with ‘The Left’. In the European Parliament, ‘The Left’ is just as irrelevant as People Before Profit in the Dáil.

Groupings in the EU Parliament are important because they help facilitate cooperation and coordination among Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who share similar political ideologies, goals, or interests. These groupings allow MEPs to work together more effectively, have a stronger voice in parliamentary debates, and influence decision-making processes. Groupings also play a role in distributing roles and responsibilities within the parliament, such as committee assignments and leadership positions. Overall, groupings help enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of parliamentary work in the EU.

The Left is the smallest political group in the EU parliament and accordingly has the least influence and speaking time in the European Parliament. Sinn Féin are members of a group that’s largely anti-EU, anti-business, and anti-everything else apart from Russia, where they seem to be very pro-Russia. Sinn Féin is part of a pan-European People Before Profit outfit that has no real influence in EU decision-making. They’re practically ignored and not taken seriously.

The only time anyone takes any notice of ‘The Left’, the group Sinn Féin is part of, is when they vote in Russia’s interests, which is a lot.

Sinn Féins only MEP in the last parliament (he lost his seat in 2024), Chris MacManus, who no one has heard of outside of Sligo, voted or abstained a lot in a manner that would suggest Sinn Féin is very pro-Putin/Russia

When not burning through cash on Facebook advertising, Chris MacManus had a very curious voting record regarding Russia. The former Sinn Féin MEP abstained from a European Parliament resolution that called for immediate investigations into MEPs acting as agents of influence for Russia. Why would anybody abstain in a vote that wanted to investigate people spying for Russia in the EU?

MEPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of a report on Russian and Chinese interference in the EU that called for a strategy to combat foreign interference in elections. MacManus abstained on that vote as well. A bit of a pattern emerging there, says you.

Our intrepid abstainer, you guessed it, abstained on an EU vote condemning the Kremlin-backed Belarusian government’s actions during the democracy protests. This is the same Belarusian government that hijacked a Ryanair flight and kidnapped a journalist.

The European Union voted overwhelmingly to declare Russia a terrorist State. Sinn Féin MEP Chris McManus abstained from voting on that.

When not abstaining from bad stuff Russia is doing, he likes to vote against things also. In February 2024, he voted against giving aid to Ukraine.

He voted against adding the violation of sanctions against Russia to a list of serious crimes at the EU level. Sinn Féin against crime, ya? Or are they just not against Russian Crime?

Sinn Féins man from Sligo voted against a resolution condemning Russian aggression against Ukraine. You can dress that up, put some sexy lingerie on, and get the hair and nails done, but that is a very pro-Russia vote.

In December of 2021, Sinn Féin MEP Chris MacManus voted against a resolution in the European Parliament that supported Ukraine’s independence, which said Putin’s military build-up at Ukraine’s borders represented a threat to Europe’s peace. It turned out Russia is kind of a massive threat to European security, Chris.

The EU is a delicate tapestry, woven from the threads of 27 nations. Each one is a piece of a complex puzzle, fitting together to form a united front against global challenges. Pro-Putin voting Sinn Feins MEPS are the termites in this wooden structure, gnawing away at the beams of solidarity.

More recently, Sinn Féins new intake of MEPs elected in June 2024 have continued their long and ignoble tradition of voting against or abstaining from votes that might be seen as hostile to Russia. Memo to Sinn Féin, no one likes an arse licker, probably ot even Putin.

September 2024: Continued financial and military support to Ukraine by EU Member States. Sinn Féin abstained

October 2024: Strengthening Moldova’s resilience against Russian interference ahead of the upcoming presidential elections and a constitutional referendum on EU integration. Sinn Féin abstained. What did poor Moldova ever do to Sinn Féin?

March 2025: Continuing the unwavering EU support for Ukraine, after three years of Russia’s war of aggression, Sinn Féin abstained, the big, brave abstainers.

July 2025: The human cost of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the urgent need to end Russian aggression: the situation of illegally detained civilians and prisoners of war, and the continued bombing of civilians. Sinn Féin abstained; I’ve known priests who don’t abstain as much as they do.

September 2025: Strengthening Moldova’s resilience against Russian hybrid threats and malign interference. Sinn Féin abstained on that. They would like small Moldova to be defenceless against an aggressive neighbouring empire. Which makes them massive fucking hypocrites.

October 2025: United response to recent Russian violations of the airspace of EU Member States and of critical infrastructure. You’ll be surprised, Sinn Féin didn’t abstain from this motion; they voted against it. Mother Russia smiles benevolently on Sinn Féin.

October 2025: Situation in Belarus, five years after the fraudulent presidential elections. Sinn Féin abstained.

November 2025: EU position on the proposed plan and EU engagement towards a just and lasting peace for Ukraine - Sinn Fein abastained. The do-nothing Sinn Féiners.

January 2026: Enhanced cooperation on the establishment of a Loan for Ukraine. Sinn Féin abstained.

February 2026: Vote on the 90bn loan for Ukraine, “a request to fast-track an amendment to the current Multiannual Financial Framework to guarantee the financial assistance to Ukraine foreseen in the Ukraine Support Loan for 2026 and 2027. Sinn Féin abstained.

February 24th 2026: European Parliament resolution strongly condemning Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. Sinn Féin abstained.

Let’s be clear: these won’t be the last abstentions cast in favour of Russia by Sinn Féin in the European Parliament. They’re just the latest in a long, greasy line of votes that amount to a collective wink and a nod in Moscow’s direction. Sinn Féin declined to support a resolution condemning Russian aggression against Ukraine. Not a tough vote. Not a close call. A resolution saying, basically, “Invading your neighbour is bad, actually.” And they sat on their hands. Step back for a second. Think about that. An Irish political party, which claims it’s rooted in a history of anti-imperial struggle, looks at Russia rolling tanks into a sovereign European country and thinking, “Best not to say anything.” That’s not neutrality. That’s not a principle. That’s a signal. And signals, in politics, are meant to be read. So when Sinn Féin says they stand in solidarity with Ukraine, their voting record in the European Parliament tells a very different truth.