European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has briefed Taoiseach Simon Harris on the “emerging composition” of the next commission, as she prepares to announce which portfolios each EU country will be given.
Michael McGrath, Ireland’s nominee for its next EU commissioner, is believed to be in the frame to land the portfolio covering justice, according to several sources.
Dr von der Leyen is pushing to reveal the portfolios she intends to hand out to her team of commissioners, who are put forward by each EU country, on Tuesday.
The commissioner for justice is responsible for leading the EU’s efforts to tackle breaches of the rule of law by member states, such as Hungary and previously Poland under its populist former government. The role is currently held by Didier Reynders, a Belgian politician.
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Dr von der Leyen spoke with Mr Harris on the phone on Monday evening, as part of a series of calls placed to national capitals.
During the call the German politician briefed the Fine Gael leader on the “emerging composition” of the team of commissioners, as the process of deciding on the allocation of roles “comes to the closing stages”, a Government spokesman said.
Dr von der Leyen and Mr Harris have spoken “half a dozen times in recent weeks” about the commissioner jobs, the spokesman said. “The Taoiseach is happy with the overview he was given this evening and thanked the president for the meticulous work she has put into commission formation,” he said.
Dr von der Leyen had been scheduled to announce the portfolios she will be allocating to each commissioner on Tuesday. The public announcement was due to follow the commission president’s briefing of the leaders of the eight political groupings in the European Parliament, during a meeting in Strasbourg.
On Monday, France replaced its commissioner nominee, Thierry Breton, who had been due to serve a second term.
In a resignation letter published on the social media platform X, Mr Breton claimed Dr von der Leyen asked France to withdraw his name and nominate someone else in recent days, in exchange for “an allegedly more influential portfolio”. Mr Breton, who had been commissioner for the internal market, had frequently clashed with Dr von der Leyen during the past five years.
In his place French president Emmanuel Macron nominated Stéphane Séjourné, his close ally and the outgoing minister for foreign affairs, as the country’s new commissioner.
[ Analysis: Replacement of French commissioner suits both von der Leyen and MacronOpens in new window ]
The Government has always stated it would push for Mr McGrath to be given a finance-related commission portfolio.
However, a number of factors had been working against Ireland securing a prominent economic job. The Government ignored a request from Dr von der Leyen for countries to propose two names, with at least one being a woman, so she could build a gender-balanced team of commissioners. Fianna Fáil’s four MEPs also voted against Dr von der Leyen in a European Parliament vote that confirmed her reappointment as president of the EU’s executive arm for another five years.
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