Addressing an event hosted by Irish Rule of Law International (IRLI) at the Law Society of Ireland yesterday, Dr McAleese condemned what she described as a resurgence of “warmongering talk” and the rise of undemocratic leadership across the world.

“Remarkably, coming out of the Second World War, we hear now more warmongering talk, all of which can feed the big business that is a multiplicity of business that spin out of the war machine,” she said.

“The sacredness of the human person, the sacredness of the earth — these things have got to be embedded in the employment of capital and big business, and without that, you get a wrecking match, which is what we have.”

She warned of “backsliding” in the rule of law, even among nations that long considered themselves democratic strongholds.

“I have been reflecting on the backsliding in relation to democracy and the rule of law,” she said.

“Rather tragically, famous democracies are now the centre of that backsliding. And yet they use the words democracy and rule of law, but in a sense that none of us would recognise as having any credibility.

“We only have to look at democracies, including in the European Union, where they have elected people who are not exemplars of the rule of law or respect for human rights.

“It’s an awful sad thing for me to see democracies capable of electing autocrats and people with second-century imperial ambitions.”

Dr McAleese drew connections between democratic decline, the economics of war, and environmental devastation, arguing that each stems from a failure to prioritise human dignity and the planet.

“The sacredness of the human person and the sacredness of the earth have to be at the heart of how we deploy capital,” she said. “Without that, you get a wrecking match — and that’s what we’re seeing.”

She also defended international bodies such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the European Union (EU) as essential pillars of peace and accountability.

“The ICC sends a message to all people under abusers of the rule of law that outside of them, there’s a world that actually dares to care,” she said.

“If you have problems with the European Union, remember why it’s there, what it does — that it’s the most noble thing any cohort of people have attempted in known human history. You don’t walk away from it because today you’re mad about various policies. You stay and fight your ground.”

Dr McAleese also urged religious institutions and faith leaders to play a more active role in confronting ideologies that justify violence, exploitation, and indifference.

“Four out of five people in the world subscribe to one of the major religious traditions — these are huge influencers,” she said. “They need to be drawn into a debate within secular society, civic society, the economies of big business.”

Her message concluded with a sobering reflection on the global crossroads facing this generation:

“We are facing existential crises,” she said. “And they are upon us in this generation.”