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IRELAND’S OUTGOING EUROPEAN Commissioner Mairead McGuinness has warned the Government about the “bigger picture” that’s at play in its one-candidate strategy for the European Commissioner nomination.
German politician Ursula von der Leyen this week was re-elected as the President of the European Commission and stated that she will again be seeking that the member states propose a male and female candidate for the Commissioner role.
However, the Irish Government are against the idea. Von der Leyen, who is the first female Commission President, said her aim is to create an equal gender balance in her College of Commissioners in Brussels.
Fianna Fáil were the party who were to propose a candidate to this new commission and nominated former finance minister Michael McGrath for the role, with hopes McGuinness’ financial portfolio would be given to him.
Party leader and Tánaiste Micheál Martin believes von der Leyen’s proposal infringes on the country’s rights to a Commissioner, as is laid out in the EU treaties, and the decision not to send a female candidate has been supported by Taoiseach Simon Harris.
However, speaking to RTÉ Radio One’s This Week today, McGuinness, who replaced Phil Hogan in the Commission in 2020 after the ‘Golfgate’ scandal, said that not sending a female Commissioner may send the wrong message to the EU about Ireland.
She also warned that Government could be seen as “backsliding” on its commitments to equality. The European institutions have a range of plans, set by the Commission, to improve equality in the EU and their progress is monitored by MEPs.
“If I was still a member of [the European] Parliament, I would be watching,” she said. “If there was only one or two women [proposed] I don’t think that’s good enough. I think we do need more,” she said.
The first von der Leyen Commission had the highest number of female Commissioners in the college, 12, but that was still less than half of the make up.
In its recent nominations, the EU leaders have selected two women, von der Leyen and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, to be the top-EU diplomats. It will be the first time that both roles are held by women at the same time.
McGuinness said that there is “no doubt” that McGrath is a good candidate for the role and respects that it is a decision for Government to make. But when asked if the one-candidate strategy was “simply wrong”, the Commissioner said Government had to look at the bigger picture.
McGuinness pointed to the fact that Ursula von der Leyen was the first woman to be President of the Commission and that in the 50 years that Ireland has been a member of the EU, only Maura Geoghegan-Quinn was directly nominated by Government.
She said that the only time two names were put forward to the Commission by Ireland was when the Government was looking to replace Hogan, when she was proposed alongside former financial advisor to Enda Kenny, Andrew McDowell.
“What I think will be important for the European Parliament is that there is no backsliding on the commitment. Not to have 50-50 but, perhaps, not to ignore the fact that for the first time we have visibility of women at the highest level in the European institutions,” she said.
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Maybe because they polled people during the day and the working people were still ..ahem …. Stuck in traffic from work…. Collecting kids and feeding them …. Etc etc and only voted after all that was done.
@Peter Roche: during the day maybe… But in the morning plenty casting their vote before heading to work (as I did)
@Peter Roche: spot on. And 5000 people is f, all.
@P. V. Aglue: I know. 5000 seems very low alright. But that’s the sample for a population like ours. Thats what I remember from college anyway. But, it doesn’t work in a country like Ireland. Local issues have been the most important thing to those who voted this time, and in the past. All bar 2011 that is
@Peter Roche: well my polling area was, empty at 8pm. So guess that theory failed.
Techniques used by polling companies out dated and now redundant.
@Argus Romsworth: Absolutely
@Argus Romsworth: Rookie errors. Hope they give the fee back, they should ought to.
Polls were wrong, then I read “commissioned by RTE”, that explained everything. An organization that lied about it’s pay structure & corporate governance, getting things wrong, especially after a nearly Billion Euro Bailout, stinks.
@SV3tN8M4: why does it “stink” that they got an exit poll wrong? It can hardly have influenced the result. You’re a sh it stirrer
@SV3tN8M4: rotten to the core!!!
Was it really a low turnout?. We have 3 voters in our house but received 9 polling cards. Register is wildly inaccurate!
@Padraig O’Brien: good point, a lot of people would not have updated their current locations, and couldn’t be bothered to travel to their polling stations if far away
@Mike B: And some will have died or emigrated.
Lifted off twitter. Raw FPV v 2020 numbers. Also, stresses turn out down, but interesting reading nonetheless.
FF: 481,417 (-2,903)
FG: 458,134 (+2,550)
SF: 418,627 (-116,968)
SD: 106,028 (+42,624)
LAB: 102,457 (+6,869)
AON: 86,134 (+45,217)
GRN: 66,911 (-88,789)
PBP: 62,481 (+5,061)
@honey badger: wow how fascinating. This is absolutely riveting.
@Basildon Joe: Ha ha. Yer still ragin’ the monk was told to FO by the good people of his constituency!
@honey badger: Edge of your seat stuff
@honey badger: Just have to wonder how much of the FFG party’s electorate still be alive in 4/5 years time. The under 55s won’t stay away from the polling stations forever.
Hard luck SF pedos
@Trump24: A second election with a large vote share. As the now established largest opposition party history will tell you they will lead the government after the next cyclical downturn. It’s all but guaranteed. From a Fine Gael voter
@Argus Romsworth: They are finished people don’t want them its absolutely clear as a SF voter
@Trump24: what do people want?.500 billion spent on a hospital and 250k bike sheds it seems
Breaking News: Polling company makes excuses to try and sound relevant.
So they completely make a hames of the exit poll and blame the electorate.
They picked young voters to fill in sheet
Was out with two nephews Friday night they told me the votes Sinn Fein – I asked what was the candidates name they hadn’t a clue then asked name 3 Sinn fein tds – Mary Lou -Mary Lou and Mary Lou.
@Tim Brennan: did you then ask them the other politicians of different party’s names for balance.
@Colette Byrne: No balance required there grandfather would turn in his grave – they stupidly believe SF were going to hand them the keys of a house
Healy Raes in the reckoning for office.
Wishful thinking influencing people who are required to be impartial by moral law and professional integrity
The “Sinn Fein are traitors” campaign smashed any hope young people had of an alternative government. Any of those not in Australia or elsewhere decided not to vote or protest voted.
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