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Disputes between Dublin and Brussels, as well as within the government, continued on Wednesday over the appointment of Ireland’s next European Commissioner.
Sources said uncertainty remained whether Foreign Minister Simon Coveney would seek the nomination and what portfolio would be assigned to the new Irish commissioner. Government sources admit that they have almost given up hope of retaining the powerful commercial portfolio.
A government spokeswoman confirmed that the three party leaders in the coalition government were in contact on the matter throughout the night, but no decision was made on the nominees late Tuesday night.
The issue was not discussed at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, although Micheál Martin told ministers before the meeting was dissolved that there was no agreement, contrary to some reports, that the government would send two names to Brussels as requested. However, high-level political sources said they expected two names, a man and a woman, to be sent to Brussels.
The three potential candidates are Mr Coveney and the two Fine Gael MEPs, Mairead McGuinness and Frances Fitzgerald. Government sources say that Brussels has expressed its admiration for Ms McGuinness, although she is less popular with Fine Gael ministers than Ms Fitzgerald. Sources also say that Mr. Coveney may be reluctant to submit his name if he thinks he will not get the nomination. In this case, the Coalition would have to find another man willing to be nominated, but with the expectation that he was not.
Preferred choice
The Irish Times understands that in the scenario in which Dublin presents two candidates, the president of the commission, Ursula von der Leyen, would probably speak with both and indicate her preferred choice to the Government. Only after this would she make her final decision on which portfolios to allocate, in accordance with the procedure followed when she appointed her cabinet last year.
Dr von der Leyen has asked Ireland to submit the names of a woman and a man, in accordance with his priority of seeking gender balance in the commission.
The role that Ireland will play in the EU Commission to replace Phil Hogan depends on the “powers” of the names presented, the executive said.
“The ball is in the court of the Irish authorities to present names of possible commissioners of Irish nationality,” said commission spokeswoman Dana Spinant. “The issue of gender balance is very important to President von der Leyen. We have been saying this and she has been saying it very clearly and very loudly since she took office.
Candidate scrutiny
“As for the decision on portfolios, the president will make it once she has the name on the table and that will of course depend on the competencies and all the elements that are available to her at that time.”
Left-wing MEPs in the European Parliament have publicly called for Ireland to nominate a woman to be the next commissioner.
Once the Irish candidate is decided, it is subject to scrutiny by the European Parliament.
First, they must submit a declaration of financial interests, which will be examined by the Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee. The candidate will then face scrutiny from the committee working on her report (in the case of the commercial portfolio, this would be the Parliament’s Committee on International Trade).
MEPs will invite the candidate to answer written questions and then submit them to a three-hour public hearing. After that, the committee will draw up an evaluation of the candidate and send it to the speaker of parliament: candidates have withdrawn in the past when this has been negative.
Finally, the entire parliament will vote on the new commission. If approved by parliament, the commission is formally appointed by a qualified majority of the national leaders of the European Council.
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