Politics

Fianna Fáil European Parliament group to decide nominee for Commission presidency next week

Ursula von der Leyen seeking second five-year term but is facing opposition backlash over support for Israel

More than 100 MEPs, including Ireland's Barry Andrews and Billy Kelleher, will meet at a special two-day annual congress in Brussels. Photograph: Frederick Florin/AFP via Getty

Marie O'Halloran
Wed Mar 13 2024 - 21:43

Fianna Fáil’s European Parliament group, Renew Europe, will decide next week on their nominee for the presidency of the European Commission (EC).

The 108 MEPs in the group, which includes Irish MEPs and party members Barry Andrews and Billy Kelleher, will meet at a special two-day annual congress in Brussels where it will choose between three candidates:

  • Sandro Gozi (55): Italian MEP since 2020, secretary general of the European Democratic Party, nominated to parliament by French president Emmanuel Macron’s La Republique en Marche (LREM) having served as project manager in 2019 in the French prime minister’s cabinet
  • Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (64): Member of Germany’s Free Democratic Party, a member of the Bundestag since 2017 and chair of the parliament’s defence committee
  • Valérie Hayer (37): a French lawyer and MEP since 2019 and president of the Renew Europe grouping in the parliament

Mr Andrews, Fianna Fáil Dublin MEP, said the matter had not been discussed at party level but he will be voting for Ms Hayer, a “very solid” candidate. He added however that while the Council of Europe leaders has to “give a nod” to the European Parliament “we don’t have the right to nominate the commission president”.

Fine Gael’s European People’s Party (EPP) group last week agreed on current president Ursula von der Leyen as its nominee for a second five-year term. Ms von der Leyen pledged unequivocal EU support for Israel’s right to defend itself during her visit there in the wake of the October 7th Hamas attack, and opposition parties have opposed her reappointment because of that unwavering backing.

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Negotiations on a new EC will only commence on June 10th after the European elections across the EU are completed between June 6th and 9th and member state leaders will make the decision, although the successful nominee will need an absolute majority in the parliament.

Under the Spitzenkandidat process, an EU obsession that means little in member states, in the unlikely even any of Renew Europe’s three parties secures a majority coalition after the election they have a mandate for the presidency. The process was however ignored in 2019 when EU leaders chose Ms von der Leyen.

Fianna Fáil Ireland South MEP Billy Kelleher stressed that governments nominate their commissioners based on their political policies and philosophy and the commission will not “automatically reflect the parliament”.

Picking a nominee will however “give a figurehead to a campaign”, a person to represent the group’s philosophy.

The Green Party’s European Free Alliance (EFA) group with 70 MEPs has nominated two candidates: Bas Eickhout (47) a Dutch member of the GreenLeft (stet) and an MEP since 2009; and Terry Reintke (36) a member of the German Greens and an MEP since 2014.

Green Party Dublin MEP Ciaran Cuffe said while the EC president had signed the European green deal her very strong support of Israel on Gaza “has left a dark stain on the EU flag” and she is “completely unacceptable to us”.

Last week in the Dáil Tánaiste Micheál Martin said “Ireland will conduct extensive consultations, both internally and with our European partners before deciding which nominee to support in the European Council”.

Sinn Féin foreign affairs spokesman Matt Carthy said the EC president had “damaged the potential of the EU to play a constructive role” in the Middle East.

Mr Martin said however she had changed position on funding the UN agency Unrwa and offered €50 million and in November she had clearly expressed the need to protect lives in Gaza and ensure humanitarian access. The Tánaiste added that “president von der Leyen has been a strong advocate for the protection of Irish interest throughout the Brexit process” and had provided leadership in the EU and support to Ireland during Covid.

Marie O'Halloran

Marie O'Halloran

Marie O'Halloran is Parliamentary Correspondent of The Irish Times

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