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Fianna Fáil MEPs’ stance against von der Leyen may work against McGrath

Governments will become supplicants to the European Commission president if as expected she secures a second term

Ursula von der Leyen is expected to be approved for a second term as European Commission president. Photograph: Olivier Hoslet/EPA
Ursula von der Leyen is expected to be approved for a second term as European Commission president. Photograph: Olivier Hoslet/EPA
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Pat Leahy in Brussels
Thu Jun 27 2024 - 19:14

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy swooshed in and out of Brussels for the summit of European Union leaders on Thursday, thanking member states for their support and pleading for more military aid. In his wake, EU leaders were left wrangling not so much over the life-and-death issue of aid for Ukraine but over the EU’s favourite parlour game: who gets the top jobs?

Once every five years, Brussels is consumed by speculation over who is set for what role. It goes without saying that the citizens of Europe have much less interest in this than the political classes. At home, the now ex-minister for finance Michael McGrath watches on intently.

EU leaders are expected to haggle late into the night over the appointments to lead the key institutions of the union – the European Commission, the European Council, the European Parliament and the foreign service – for the next five years. A deal was all but done earlier this week, with Ursula von der Leyen securing another term as president of the commission, the most powerful of the jobs.

Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, however, threw a spanner in the works, protesting that the carve-up between the centre-right European People’s Party (of which Fine Gael is a member), the centrist Renew group (Fianna Fáil is a member) and the centre-left social democrats excluded both Italy and her right-wing ECR alliance, which has made significant gains in the recent elections. EU leaders were hurriedly trying to placate Meloni with soothing words as they entered the summit.

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[ National leaders begin to share out top European Union jobs ]

If the deal, or something like it, holds, then the focus will switch to the European Parliament, which will have to vote on von der Leyen’s nomination in the coming weeks. That will inevitably bring a focus on the four Fianna Fáil MEPs – Billy Kelleher, Barry Andrews, Barry Cowen and Cynthia Ní Mhurchú – all of whom have said they will not back her but belong to party that is in a Government which is supporting her. None responded to messages on Thursday evening.

The stance taken by the MEPs – all announced they would not support her during the recent election campaign, reflecting her unpopularity in Ireland because of her outspoken support for Israel – is already the cause of some muttering among Fianna Fáilers back in Dublin. One source archly said: “Ah, it’s a secret ballot, though.” But the notion that the MEPs could oppose her in public while supporting her in private seems far-fetched, even by the standards of back-room hustling and side deals that inevitably govern EU horse-trading.

Right now, von der Leyen is the supplicant, seeking the approval of the heads of government and then the votes of the MEPs in the parliament. But if – as expected – she is approved by both bodies, then the tables will be turned. The governments will become supplicants to her court, seeking influential commission portfolios for their nominees.

This is where there are a couple of sticky points for the Irish Government. Taoiseach Simon Harris reiterated on Thursday he would not (as von der Leyen is expected to request) nominate a woman as well as McGrath. Combined with the lack of support from Fianna Fáil MEPs in what could be a tight election, and von der Leyen may not have Ireland at the top her list for preferential commission appointments. McGrath may yet face an uphill battle to secure his big job in Brussels.