Mick Wallace
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Michael Wallace (born 9 November 1955) is an Irish politician, former property developer and former
Member of the European Parliament A member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been Election, elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the European Coal and S ...
(MEP) from
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
for the
South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
constituency from 2019 to 2024. He is a member of Independents 4 Change, part of
The Left in the European Parliament The Left in the European Parliament (The Left) is a left-wing Political groups of the European Parliament, political group of the European Parliament established in 1995. Prior to January 2021 it was named the European United Left/Nordic Green L ...
. He was a
Teachta Dála A Teachta Dála ( ; ; plural ), abbreviated as TD (plural ''TDanna'' in Irish language, Irish, TDs in English), is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The official Engli ...
(TD) for the
Wexford Wexford ( ; archaic Yola dialect, Yola: ''Weiseforthe'') is the county town of County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the ...
constituency from 2011 to 2019. Entering politics in 2011 following the
post-2008 Irish economic downturn The post-2008 Irish economic downturn in the Republic of Ireland, coincided with a Post-2008 Irish banking crisis, series of banking scandals, followed the 1990s and 2000s Celtic Tiger period of rapid real economic growth fuelled by foreign dire ...
, Wallace was considered one of the most eccentric and unconventional figures in Irish politics. Wallace gained a reputation for
anti-establishment An anti-establishment view or belief is one which stands in opposition to the conventional social, political, and economic principles of a society. The term was first used in the modern sense in 1958 by the British magazine ''New Statesman'' ...
and
left-wing populist Left-wing populism, also called social populism, is a Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideology that combines left-wing politics with populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric often includes elements of anti-elitism, opposition to the E ...
views, and became a frequent guest on the political debate show ''
Tonight with Vincent Browne ''Tonight with Vincent Browne'' (formerly ''Nightly News with Vincent Browne'') was a news analysis, Current affairs (news format), current affairs and politics programme which was broadcast on Republic of Ireland, Ireland's Virgin Media One, T ...
''. In 2012, it emerged that during his time as a property developer, Wallace's company owed €2.1 million to the state in unpaid
value-added tax A value-added tax (VAT or goods and services tax (GST), general consumption tax (GCT)) is a consumption tax that is levied on the value added at each stage of a product's production and distribution. VAT is similar to, and is often compared wi ...
es. Since 2012, Wallace has had a close political association with Clare Daly. As an MEP, Wallace has gained international attention for his foreign policy positions, describing himself as fighting "anti-
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
" and "anti-
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
" rhetoric. His views have been the subject of controversy and criticism in Europe, but have been promoted by state-controlled media in Russia, China,
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
,
Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
, and other
authoritarian Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political ''status quo'', and reductions in democracy, separation of powers, civil liberties, and ...
states.


Early and personal life

Wallace was born in Wellingtonbridge in
County Wexford County Wexford () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was ba ...
, Ireland in 1955. The son of businessman Joseph Wallace and his wife Maureen, he was one of a family of 12 children. His father, a former
Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil ( ; ; meaning "Soldiers of Destiny" or "Warriors of Fál"), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (), is a centre to centre-right political party in Ireland. Founded as a republican party in 1926 by Éamon de ...
member, was the head of a family that owned and operated several businesses in Wellingtonbridge. He graduated from
University College Dublin University College Dublin (), commonly referred to as UCD, is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 38,417 students, it is Ireland's largest ...
with a degree in English, history and philosophy, and later obtained a teaching qualification. He married Mary Murphy from Duncormick, County Wexford in 1979; the couple had two sons, but the marriage ended when the children were young. Wallace had two more children from another relationship in the 1990s. In 2007, Wallace founded the Wexford Football Club which he managed for their first three seasons, and was chairman of its board. The club is in the
League of Ireland First Division The League of Ireland First Division, also known as the SSE Airtricity League First Division for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in both the League of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland football league system. The division w ...
. He is also a supporter of Italian football club Torino. Prior to entering politics Wallace owned a property development and construction company completing developments such as ''The Italian Quarter'' in the Ormond Quay area of the Dublin quays. The company later collapsed into liquidation, with Wallace finally being declared bankrupt on 19 December 2016.


Early political career and election as TD (2011–2019)

Prior to entering politics, Wallace had expressed his political views publicly. In 2002,
Dublin City Council Dublin City Council () is the Local government in the Republic of Ireland, local authority of the city of Dublin in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. As a city council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. Until 2001, the authority was k ...
took a case to the High Court to demand Wallace remove a banner saying "No to War. No to
Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one millionTonight with Vincent Browne ''Tonight with Vincent Browne'' (formerly ''Nightly News with Vincent Browne'') was a news analysis, Current affairs (news format), current affairs and politics programme which was broadcast on Republic of Ireland, Ireland's Virgin Media One, T ...
'', Wallace made the announcement that he intended to contest the upcoming general election on 25 February as an
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
candidate. Running on the slogan "For a New Politics", he topped the poll in the Wexford constituency with 13,329 votes and was elected on the first count. According to John Dwyer, who stood against him in that election, Wallace's tax affairs were "the talk of the pubs, all of these things were known. Because he was such a rebel, because he was prepared to stick the finger up at the authorities, he got elected." Shortly after being elected, Wallace was caught by a microphone in
Dáil Éireann Dáil Éireann ( ; , ) is the lower house and principal chamber of the Oireachtas, which also includes the president of Ireland and a senate called Seanad Éireann.Article 15.1.2° of the Constitution of Ireland reads: "The Oireachtas shall co ...
saying "Miss Piggy has toned it down a bit today", referring to an outfit worn by Mary Mitchell O'Connor. After Mitchell O'Connor described the comments as "really hurtful" to her, he accepted responsibility and later apologised, saying "It was my fault. I passed the reference because of her handbag. I'm completely out of order. I don't have a leg to stand on Clearly it was in bad taste." He called Mitchell O'Connor to apologise and said he would write a letter of apology to her as well. Wallace co-founded the Independents 4 Change, which was registered to stand for elections in March 2014. During their time in the Dáil, Wallace and Dublin North TD Clare Daly became friends and political allies, and worked together on many campaigns, including opposition to austerity and highlighting revelations of alleged Garda malpractices, including harassment, improper cancellation of penalty points and involvement of officers in the drug trade. Wallace and Daly were partially active in protesting the
Garda whistleblower scandal The Garda Whistleblower Scandal involved the revelation of corruption and malpractice within Ireland's national police force, the Garda Síochána, and the subsequent mishandling of the complaints that had been made by serving members of the for ...
, which eventually caused the resignation of Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald, although she was later cleared of wrongdoing by the Charleton Tribunal. In December 2015, Wallace and independent TDs Clare Daly and
Maureen O'Sullivan Maureen Paula O'Sullivan (May 17, 1911 – June 23, 1998) was an Irish actress who played Jane in the ''Tarzan'' series of films during the era of Johnny Weissmuller. She starred in dozens of feature films across a span of more than half a ...
each put forward offers of a €5,000 surety for a man charged with membership of an unlawful organisation and with possession of a component part of an improvised explosive device. At the 2016 general election, Wallace stood as an Independents 4 Change candidate and was re-elected, finishing third on the first-preference count with 7,917 votes.


Political views during his time in the Dáil

Wallace has stated that the welfare of women working in
prostitution Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, no ...
would be improved if the trade were not pushed underground. He said he was "a bit flabbergasted" by the introduction of the household charge brought in as part of the 2012 Budget, and by how that party had changed from when it was in opposition. On 15 December 2011, he helped to launch a nationwide campaign against the household charge. Wallace was criticised and accused of "defending terrorism" by
Joan Burton Joan Burton (born 1 February 1949) is an Irish former Labour Party politician who served as Tánaiste and Leader of the Labour Party from 2014 to 2016, Minister for Social Protection from 2011 to 2016, Deputy leader of the Labour Party fro ...
, then Ireland's
Tánaiste The Tánaiste ( , ) is the second-ranking member of the government of Ireland and the holder of its second-most senior office. It is the equivalent of the deputy prime minister in other parliamentary systems. The Tánaiste is appointed by the P ...
, for comments he made during the
November 2015 Paris attacks A series of coordinated Islamist terrorist attacks took place on Friday, 13 November 2015 in Paris, France, and the city's northern suburb, Saint-Denis. Beginning at 21:16, three suicide bombers struck outside the Stade de France in Saint-De ...
. While the attacks were unfolding, Wallace posted on his Twitter account "So terrible for the victims, but when is
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
going to stop its role in the militarisation of the planet?", sparking an angry reaction on social media. In 2017, Wallace called on Ireland to join the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement against Israel and "condemn the illegal expansion of Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands as well as the ongoing human rights abuses against Palestinians". Wallace proposed an "official boycott of goods from illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories".


Arrest at Shannon Airport

In July 2014, Wallace and Daly were arrested at
Shannon Airport Shannon Airport () is an international airport located in County Clare in Ireland. It is adjacent to the Shannon Estuary and lies halfway between Ennis and Limerick. With almost 2 million passengers in 2023, the airport is the third busiest ...
while trying to board a US military aircraft. Wallace said the airport was being used as a US military base and that the government should be searching the planes to ensure that they are not involved in military operations or that there are no weapons on board. Wallace was fined €2,000 for being in an airside area without permission, and chose not to pay. He was sentenced to 30 days in prison in default, and in December 2015 was arrested for non-payment of the fine.
Joan Burton Joan Burton (born 1 February 1949) is an Irish former Labour Party politician who served as Tánaiste and Leader of the Labour Party from 2014 to 2016, Minister for Social Protection from 2011 to 2016, Deputy leader of the Labour Party fro ...
accused Wallace of "putting Irish people at risk" of terrorism by repeatedly linking Shannon Airport to US-led wars "simply for the sake of some media coverage".


Member of the European Parliament (2019–2024)

At the
2019 European Parliament election The 2019 European Parliament election was held in the European Union (EU) between 23 and 26 May 2019. It was the ninth parliamentary election since the first direct elections in 1979. A total of 751 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) we ...
, he was elected as an MEP for the
South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
constituency, receiving 81,780 (11.4%) of first-preference votes. Mick Wallace has been criticised for supporting Russia, Belarus, China, Syria, Venezuela and Ecuador during his period as an MEP. In November 2020, Wallace referred to
Belarusian opposition The Belarusian opposition consists of groups and individuals in Belarus seeking to challenge, from 1988 to 1991, the authorities of Soviet Belarus, and since 1995, the leader of the country Alexander Lukashenko (allied with Vladimir Putin), whom ...
presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya as a "pawn of western neoliberalism". In February 2021, Wallace was reprimanded for using a swear word during a session of the European Parliament, when he called
Venezuelan opposition This article describes the history of Venezuelan opposition to the Chavismo, Chavista governments of former President Hugo Chávez and current President Nicolás Maduro. Commonly referred to as the Venezuelan opposition, or sometimes, anti-Chavis ...
leader
Juan Guaidó Juan Gerardo Antonio Guaidó Márquez (born 28 July 1983) is a Venezuelan politician and opposition figure. He belonged to the social-democratic party Popular Will, and was a federal deputy to the National Assembly representing the state of V ...
an "unelected gobshite". In September 2022, he was one of 19 MEPs who voted against condemning
Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
for the arrest of Rolando Álvarez. During the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, Wallace opposed vaccination passports. He has said "I’m not anti-vax but we're going down a dangerous path with Covid pass" and expressed concerns about civil liberties. Both Wallace and Daly have refused to present vaccination certs upon entering the European Parliament, resulting in them being reprimanded. In November 2022, Wallace criticised protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, accusing some protestors of violence and destruction and saying it "would not be tolerated anywhere". In a speech at the European parliament, Wallace criticised the EU for failing to adequately investigate the blowing up of the Nord Stream pipeline. He referred to Seymour Hersh's conclusion that US navy divers blew up the pipeline and said "has the EU become so subservient, to US empire that yous can’t even ask them if they did it? Yous are a fucking joke". In the 2024 European Parliament elections, Wallace and Daly were endorsed by actress
Susan Sarandon Susan Abigail Sarandon (; née Tomalin; born October 4, 1946) is an American actor. With a career spanning over five decades, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award, in addition to ...
, who said they were "speaking up loud and clear for international solidarity" and "There are very few voices for peace in places of power and we need them more than ever now, especially with what’s going on in Gaza". Wallace received 52,803 (7.7%) first preference votes but lost his seat. Clare Daly also lost her seat in the election.


Visit to Iraqi militia group

In April 2021, Wallace and Clare Daly were called "embarrassments to Ireland" by Fianna Fáil's Malcolm Byrne after the two MEPs travelled to
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
and visited the headquarters of the Popular Mobilization Forces (''Hashed al-Shaabi''), an Iraqi militia supported by
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
. Byrne criticised them for meeting with a group that supports the oppression of gay people and accused them of being used as propaganda by the militia. Footage of their visit was used in a promotional video by the Popular Mobilization Forces.


Views on Syria

Wallace challenged the director general of the
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW; French: ''Organisation pour l'interdiction des armes chimiques'', OIAC) is an intergovernmental organisation and the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), ...
(OPCW), Fernando Arias, in the European Parliament in April 2021. He accused the OPCW of falsely blaming the government of
Bashar al-Assad Bashar al-Assad (born 11September 1965) is a Syrian politician, military officer and former dictator Sources characterising Assad as a dictator: who served as the president of Syria from 2000 until fall of the Assad regime, his government ...
for the 2018 Douma chemical attack. He suggested that the White Helmets may have staged the attack and alleged they were "paid for by the US and UK to carry out regime change in Syria".
Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil ( ; ; meaning "Soldiers of Destiny" or "Warriors of Fál"), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (), is a centre to centre-right political party in Ireland. Founded as a republican party in 1926 by Éamon de ...
’s Barry Andrews called Wallace's accusation against the White Helmets a conspiracy theory and disinformation. French MEP
Nathalie Loiseau Nathalie Lydie Jeanne Loiseau (; born 1 June 1964) is a French politician, diplomat and academic administrator who has served as a Member of European Parliament since 2019. Previously she was director of the École nationale d'administration (E ...
described Wallace's comments as "fake news" and apologised on his behalf to NGO groups in Syria. In a European Parliament hearing in 2021, Wallace argued that Bashar Al-Assad had defended Syria from "genocidal extremists" and asked which of the policies of Assad or the United States were "more authoritarian". Wallace has opposed sanctions against the Syrian government and was one of eight MEPs to put forward a motion to remove sanctions against the Syrian government.


Views on Russia and Ukraine

Wallace has consistently voted against resolutions critical of Vladimir Putin's Russia. He describes himself as fighting against "anti-Russian" rhetoric. According to ''The Irish Times'', Wallace and Daly's positions on Putin's Russia have caused tensions with other members of
The Left in the European Parliament The Left in the European Parliament (The Left) is a left-wing Political groups of the European Parliament, political group of the European Parliament established in 1995. Prior to January 2021 it was named the European United Left/Nordic Green L ...
. Wallace tabled amendments on behalf of the Left, seeking to "water down" resolutions against Russia. He sought to remove a statement that a Dutch-led investigation found that Russia's military supplied the missile which downed
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17/MAS17) was a scheduled passenger flight from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Kuala Lumpur that was shot down by Russian-backed forces with a Buk missile system, Bu ...
, killing 298 civilians. In January 2022, Wallace described the Russian military buildup on Ukraine's border as being "clearly defensive" in reaction to
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
. He called for NATO to be abolished, alleging that it wanted a war and saying "it has nothing good to offer anyone that prefers peace". Amid fears of an invasion, Wallace was one of 52 MEPs who voted against offering Ukraine €1.2 billion in loans (compared to 598 MEPs in favour). In March 2022, Wallace was one of 13 MEPs who voted against a European Parliament resolution condemning the
Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
. Wallace was criticised by constituents and others in Ireland, as well as the EU
rapporteur A rapporteur is a person who is appointed by an organization to report on the proceedings of its meetings. The term is a French-derived word. For example, Dick Marty was appointed ''rapporteur'' by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Eur ...
on Ukraine, Michael Gahler, who said "Maybe he is under instruction from Moscow or the embassy there". Wallace explained that he opposed Russia's invasion, but did not back the resolution because it called for sending "defensive weapons to Ukraine", adding "the way forward is not putting in more arms ... the way forward is negotiation" with Russia. He said there must be acceptance of Russia's "genuine security concerns" about the idea of Ukraine joining NATO. Russian state media played clips of him criticising the EU response to the invasion. Wallace has opposed broad sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. He voted against a resolution to declare Russia a state sponsor of terrorism, and voted against establishing a tribunal to investigate the Russian leadership for
crimes of aggression In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Can ...
against Ukraine. Several months into the Russian invasion, Wallace accused the EU and the governing parties in Ireland (
Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil ( ; ; meaning "Soldiers of Destiny" or "Warriors of Fál"), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (), is a centre to centre-right political party in Ireland. Founded as a republican party in 1926 by Éamon de ...
and
Fine Gael Fine Gael ( ; ; ) is a centre-right, liberal-conservative, Christian democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil Éireann. The party had a member ...
) of "promoting" and "loving" the war in Ukraine. He alleged it was "being fought on behalf of NATO" and said that EU states had been "bullied" into "taking sides" against Russia. He rejected claims that he supports Vladimir Putin, saying "he stole the election last year from the
Communists Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, d ...
, who I'd have liked to have seen winning it". In a 2024 interview, Wallace described the invasion of Ukraine as a "US NATO proxy war" and said Russia were provoked into invading. Responding to positive media coverage his views have received in Russia, he said "It's hardly our fault if we're getting favourable press. Most people don't give out about favourable press. A lot of countries feel that we're calling things as they are."


Support for convicted and alleged Russian spies

In November 2021, Wallace and Daly travelled to
Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
to support Algirdas Paleckis, a politician found guilty of spying for Russia. A trial found that Russia's
Federal Security Service The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation СБ, ФСБ России (FSB) is the principal security agency of Russia and the main successor agency to the Soviet Union's KGB; its immediate predecessor was the Federal Counterin ...
paid off his mortgage in return for information. Wallace said that Paleckis was "accused of being a Russian spy because he expressed an opinion that the State didn't like" and that the conviction was "authoritarianism". In May 2022, Paleckis's conviction for spying was upheld. While in Lithuania, Wallace and Daly protested together with
Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...
n MEP Tatjana Ždanoka. Eight days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the three MEPs again protested together in the European Parliament wearing shirts bearing the Russian slogan " Stop killing Donbass children". In January 2024, Ždanoka was also accused of spying for Russian intelligence agencies in a joint investigation by Russian, Latvian, Estonian and Swedish journalists.


Views on China

Wallace has said he has "a lot of respect" for China, saying they have a "much more healthy state involvement in the organisation of society". In response to concerns about human rights abuses in the country, he responded "But sure 25% of the world's prisoners are in jail in America. Does anyone ever talk about it?", adding "There's human rights problems everywhere. There's human rights issues in Ireland." Chinese state-owned news agency ''
China Daily ''China Daily'' ( zh, s=中国日报, p=Zhōngguó Rìbào) is an English-language daily newspaper owned by the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party. Overview ''China Daily'' has the widest print circulation of any ...
'' said that Wallace's tweets and speeches in the European Parliament challenging "anti-China rhetoric" have been widely reported by Chinese news outlets and social media. In May 2021, Wallace asked in the European Parliament: "Why are we choosing an aggressive position with China? Why are we not choosing co-operation instead of aggression? Why are we not respecting the principle of state sovereignty and non-interference? We should be working for peace with China, it’s in our interests".
Fine Gael Fine Gael ( ; ; ) is a centre-right, liberal-conservative, Christian democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil Éireann. The party had a member ...
Teachta Dála A Teachta Dála ( ; ; plural ), abbreviated as TD (plural ''TDanna'' in Irish language, Irish, TDs in English), is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The official Engli ...
(TD) Neale Richmond criticised his comments and questioned why Wallace was "lionizing China, Russia, Belarus, Syria". In July 2021, Wallace said that reports of one million
Uighurs The Uyghurs,. alternatively spelled Uighurs, Uygurs or Uigurs, are a Turkic ethnic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the general region of Central Asia and East Asia. The Uyghurs are recognized as the titular nationali ...
being detained in Chinese internment camps were "grossly exaggerated". He criticised what he saw as "anti-Chinese rhetoric" in the European Parliament and Irish media. Wallace said China "takes better care of its people" than the European Union in an interview with Chinese state-run newspaper ''
Global Times The ''Global Times'' is a daily Chinese Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid under the auspices of the Chinese Communist Party's flagship newspaper, the ''People's Daily'', commenting on international issues from a Chinese nationalistic pers ...
'', and said the
Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...
"deserved a lot of credit" for "helping so many hundreds of millions in China to move out of poverty". In October 2021, Wallace posted a video on social media in which he said there was "never any solid evidence" of Uighur mass detention camps. In the same video, Wallace said that
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
is " part of China" and "is recognised as such by the United Nations". Wallace's video was afterwards broadcast on Chinese state media, prompting the government of Taiwan to give an official rebuke of his claims. A spokesperson for the Taiwanese government in Dublin stated that the United Nations did "not authorise the People’s Republic of China to represent Taiwan in the United Nations, let alone claim that Taiwan is part of the People’s Republic of China. Taiwan is a vibrant democracy that is appreciated and supported by like-minded partners around the world. The right to democratic
self-determination Self-determination refers to a people's right to form its own political entity, and internal self-determination is the right to representative government with full suffrage. Self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international la ...
should not and will not be forfeited". Wallace's comments also prompted other Irish politicians to speak out against him. Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness said he was "flabbergasted" upon seeing Wallace's video and called on him to remove it. Fine Gael Senator Jerry Buttimer called on Wallace to speak to Taiwanese groups in Ireland and to respect the right of "democratic self-determination". A 2022 report by ''
The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...
'' said that, since January 2021, Wallace had been featured in more Chinese-language news articles than any other Irish person aside from Daly. As a result of his fame in China, the Chinese have nicknamed him the "Golden Lion King" and "Silver Lion King".


Venezuelan and Ecuadorian election monitoring

In June 2021, Wallace and Daly were among the MEPs censured by the European Parliament's Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group, for acting as unofficial election monitors in the December 2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election and April 2021 Ecuadorian general election, without a mandate or permission from the EU. Official EU overseas trips had also been suspended because of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. Wallace and Daly were barred until the end of 2021 from making any election missions. They were warned that any further such action may result in their ejection from the European Parliament. While MEPs can make personal trips overseas, according to ''The Irish Times'', Wallace and Daly made no mention in their tweets that they were acting in an unofficial capacity. Wallace and Daly issued a joint statement that read: "This is a political stunt by the centre right parties in the European Parliament, and we will be challenging it. These were not ‘fake’ election-observation trips. We made abundantly clear by public announcement at the time that we were not visiting Ecuador or Venezuela with an official election observation mandate". They continued: "Although we regret that the Ecuadorian people did not choose Andrés Arauz as their president, we found the elections to be conducted fairly and impartially". Ecuadorian election officials complained that Wallace could not be an objective election observer while openly supporting one side.


Later political career

Two weeks after losing his seat in the European Parliament, Wallace was bereaved by the death of his son Joe Wallace in June 2024. Joe had frequently joined Wallace on his political campaigns. In November 2024, Wallace announced that he would run in Wexford at the 2024 general election. He was unsuccessful in returning to the Dáil, having polled 1,615 first-preferences (3.1%), and was eliminated on the eighth count. In March 2025, Wallace attended a conference in Sanaa, Yemen, hosted by the
Houthis The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, is a Zaydism, Zaydi Shia Islamism, Shia Islamist political and military organization that emerged from Yemen in the 1990s. It is predominantly made up of Zaydi Shias, with their namesake leadersh ...
, Shia Islamist movement in Yemen, where he praised them for fighting against Israel's alleged genocide in Gaza. Wallace denounced
imperialism Imperialism is the maintaining and extending of Power (international relations), power over foreign nations, particularly through expansionism, employing both hard power (military and economic power) and soft power (diplomatic power and cultura ...
as "the source of terror", describing
Europeans Europeans are the focus of European ethnology, the field of anthropology related to the various ethnic groups that reside in the states of Europe. Groups may be defined by common ancestry, language, faith, historical continuity, etc. There are ...
who support the "genocide in Gaza" as "barbaric". He said that Houthi-controlled Yemen was "one of the few countries adhering to
international law International law, also known as public international law and the law of nations, is the set of Rule of law, rules, norms, Customary law, legal customs and standards that State (polity), states and other actors feel an obligation to, and generall ...
".


Financial and legal issues


Bankruptcy

In May 2011, Wallace said that he would face personal financial ruin and the possible loss of his Dáil seat, if banks were to chase him for personal guarantees he had given them. According to Wallace, his company had passed rents it collected directly to
ACCBank ACC Loan Management Limited, formerly ACCBank plc, was originally a commercial bank in Ireland that focused on agriculture and SME lending, and later became a company that focussed on managing the lending facilities of its existing clients. The ba ...
since 2008. In a statement Wallace said: "I've tried to build well — we were a very successful company for a long time. We weren't bad, we weren't doing crazy things. We've made money every year for 20 years, employed a lot of people, paid our taxes. But the financial crisis arrived, completely undermined the value of our assets and we're no longer in a great place." He told
RTÉ (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...
, "If a bank tries to make me bankrupt it has more to do with 'badness' than economics." On 10 October 2011, the Commercial Court ordered Wallace to repay more than €19 million owed to ACCBank. He said he did not have the money. On 30 January 2016, it was ruled that Wallace would have to pay €2m to US
vulture fund A vulture fund is a hedge fund or private-equity fund that invests in debt considered to be very weak or in default, known as distressed debt. Investors in the fund profit by buying debt at a discounted price on a secondary market and then u ...
Cerberus In Greek mythology, Cerberus ( or ; ''Kérberos'' ), often referred to as the hound of Hades, is a polycephaly, multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Greek underworld, underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. He was the offspring o ...
. Wallace was finally declared bankrupt on 19 December 2016 with debts of over €30 million.


Withholding of employees pension contributions

In 2011, Wallace pleaded guilty to five charges of withholding his employees' pension contributions in a case taken by the Irish Pensions Board. Wallace said the case had arisen as a result of a "discrepancy" and that he had paid all of the money due.


Under-payment of tax

In June 2012, ''
The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...
'' reported that Wallace had made a seven-figure settlement with the
Revenue Commissioners The Revenue Commissioners (), commonly called Revenue, is the Irish Government agency responsible for customs, excise, taxation and related matters. Though Revenue can trace itself back to predecessors (with the Act of Union 1800 amalgamating ...
for under-payment of VAT. The sum related to his company MJ Wallace Ltd. Wallace admitted in the course of the article that he had knowingly made false declarations to the authorities. Under the agreement with Revenue, MJ Wallace Ltd was found to have under-declared VAT liabilities on returns by €1,418,894. Interest came to €289,146 and penalties amounting to €425,668 were imposed, giving a total of €2,133,708.
Ceann Comhairle The (; "Head of heCouncil"; plural usually ) is the chairperson (or speaker) of , the lower house of the (parliament) of Ireland. The person who holds the position is elected by members of the from among their number in the first session ...
Seán Barrett wrote to the
Oireachtas The Oireachtas ( ; ), sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the Bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of the president of Ireland and the two houses of the Oireachtas (): a house ...
Committee on Members' Interests Chairman, asking him to convene an inquiry.


Hitman comments

When Wallace stated on ''
The Marian Finucane Show ''The Marian Finucane Show'' was an Republic of Ireland, Irish radio programme, presented by Marian Finucane. It aired Saturday - Sunday at 11:00 to 13:00. According to statistics from 2009, it was then the highest-rating weekend radio show in Ir ...
'' in October 2012 that back in 2005 he once "threatened to hire a hitman to recover an
IR£ The pound ( Irish: ) was the currency of Ireland until 2002. Its ISO 4217 code was IEP, and the symbol was £ (or £Ir for distinction.) The Irish pound was replaced by the euro on 1 January 1999. Euro currency did not begin circulation until ...
20,000 debt from a building firm", a complaint was filed with Gardaí by a former Navy officer who runs a public information website. Later the same month, Finian McGrath resigned as chairman of the Dáil technical group when Wallace returned to the loose alliance against the wishes of many of its members.


Alan Shatter data breach controversy

During a debate between the then Minister for Justice and Equality,
Alan Shatter Alan Joseph Shatter (born 14 February 1951) is an Irish lawyer, author and former Fine Gael politician who served as Minister for Justice and Equality and Minister for Defence from 2011 to 2014. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin S ...
and Wallace on RTÉ television in May 2013, Shatter divulged that Wallace had been cautioned by Gardaí for using his phone while driving. Shatter was later found to have broken
General Data Protection Regulation The General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679), abbreviated GDPR, is a European Union regulation on information privacy in the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA). The GDPR is an important component of ...
laws by revealing personal information about Wallace. Shatter said he obtained the information from then Garda Commissioner, Martin Callinan. Callinan and Shatter both lost their jobs soon afterward, Shatter partially for this breach of the law among other controversies. Wallace disagreed with the appointment of Callinan's successor
Nóirín O'Sullivan Nóirín O'Sullivan (born 3 November 1960) is an Irish Garda Síochána, Garda who has served as Director of Strategic Partnerships for Europe at the International Association of Chiefs of Police since October 2017. She previously served as Garda ...
, citing her previous role as deputy commissioner to Callinan.


Undeclared income as an MEP

In February 2023 Wallace claimed on social media that he had "three wine bars in Dublin". This aroused alarm from Wallace's European parliamentary group, as no such assets were listed on his mandatory declaration of financial interests. After the chair of his parliamentary group called any omission from the declaration "unacceptable” and not “worthy of our political group”, Wallace amended his declaration to state that he is an "advisor" to the three wine bars, and receives up to €500 a month in income for this role.


RTÉ lawsuit

In April 2022, Daly and Wallace sued for
defamation Defamation is a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making assertions ...
against
RTÉ (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...
, the Republic of Ireland's national broadcasting service, for undisclosed reasons. Their lawsuit was flagged as a potential threat to
press freedom Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic media, especially published materials, should be considered a right to be exerc ...
by the
Index on Censorship Index on Censorship is an organisation campaigning for freedom of expression. It produces a quarterly magazine of the same name from London. It is directed by the non-profit-making Writers and Scholars International, Ltd (WSI) in association wit ...
and
International Press Institute International Press Institute (IPI) is a global organisation dedicated to the promotion and protection of press freedom and the improvement of journalism practices. The institution was founded by 34 editors from 15 countries at Columbia Universit ...
. The organizations alerted the
Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; , CdE) is an international organisation with the goal of upholding human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it is Europe's oldest intergovernmental organisation, represe ...
, filing it under "harassment and intimidation of journalists". A statement from the Index on Censorship said "we believe that they are characteristic of
strategic lawsuits against public participation Strategic lawsuits against public participation (also known as SLAPP suits or intimidation lawsuits), or strategic litigation against public participation, are lawsuits intended to censor, intimidate, and silence critics by burdening them with ...
– also known as SLAPPs".


Notes


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wallace, Mick 1955 births Living people Alumni of University College Dublin Independent TDs Irish anti-war activists Irish politicians convicted of crimes Irish sportsperson-politicians Irish women's rights activists League of Ireland managers Members of the 31st Dáil Members of the 32nd Dáil Politicians from County Wexford Republic of Ireland association football managers Wexford F.C. managers Independents 4 Change TDs MEPs for the Republic of Ireland 2019–2024 Independents 4 Change MEPs Irish businesspeople in construction Irish activists for Palestinian solidarity Irish anti-capitalists Irish socialists Irish tax defaulters Republic of Ireland association football chairmen and investors