Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Simon Coveney Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland
In secret

This minister is heading to the secretive Bilderberg summit - but in a 'private capacity'

The annual meeting of political leaders and experts from the world of finance and academia is taking place in Copenhagen this year.

AGRICULTURE MINISTER SIMON Coveney will be attending the infamous and highly-secretive Bilderberg Group summit which gets under way tomorrow.

Coveney was invited a number of weeks ago, is attending in a “private capacity” and covering his own expenses, according to a spokesperson for the minister.

A total of around 140 participants, including political leaders and experts from industry, finance, academia and the media from 22 countries, have confirmed their attendance.

The summit taking place from tomorrow until Sunday in the Danish capital of Copenhagen. Meetings of the group have been held every almost every year since 1954.

The original summit, at the Hotel Bilderderberg in the Netherlands, was organised with the stated aim of fostering closer economic and political ties between the US and Europe.

Topics for discussion this year include whether the economic recovery is sustainable, whether privacy exists, China’s new political and economic outlook, the situation in Ukraine, ‘current events’, and ‘the future of democracy and the middle class trap’.

‘Secretive’

The secretive nature of the Bilderberg meetings – and the elite nature of the guest list – means they’ve long been the subject of criticism with accusations that the organisation is a mostly white, mostly male networking opportunity. Right-wing critics have accused it of attempting to promote a world government.

Another Irish citizen attending is former Attorney General Peter Sutherland, who is the chairman of Goldman Sachs.

Other notable attendees include UK chancellor George Osborne, former CIA chief David Petraeus, the European Commissioner for Justice Viviane Redding, and Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen

Coveney’s attendance is the first by an Irish government since Michael Noonan, the Minister for Finance, attended the conference in 2012. He did not participate in last year’s event.

A press release announcing the 62nd meeting on the Bilderberg website states: “Thanks to the private nature of the conference, the participants are not bound by the conventions of their office or by pre-agreed positions. As such, they can take time to listen, reflect and gather insights.

“There is no desired outcome, no resolutions are proposed, no votes are taken, and no policy statements are issued.”

Last year: Noonan won’t be attending Bilderberg (but Sutherland will…)

Revealed: Real life behind the scenes at the secretive Bilderberg conference >

Read: What are the Bilderberg meetings – and what’s Michael Noonan doing there? >

Your Voice
Readers Comments
113
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.