TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen is likely to finalise the nomination of Ireland’s next European commissioner following discussions this weekend with José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission.
Although former Fianna Fáil minister Maire Geoghegan-Quinn has been in prime position to take the post for weeks, close observers believe Mr Cowen may not make the appointment until after the Cabinet meeting next Tuesday.
The Taoiseach’s talks with Mr Barroso come in advance of a special summit next Thursday evening at which deadlocked EU leaders will try to forge a consensus over the selection of the first full-time president of the European Council and the bloc’s new foreign policy chief.
Swedish prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, current holder of the bloc’s rotating presidency, has embarked on a fresh round of telephone conversations to canvass the views of EU leaders on the two jobs.
“I’m talking to the president of the Commission now over the weekend again,” Mr Cowen said after the British-Irish Council summit meeting on the Channel Island of Jersey.
“Obviously we’ll be bringing that matter to finality as we approach the meeting next Thursday and I just want to see how that develops.”
The selection of the foreign policy chief – to be known as the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, or High Rep – will have a crucial bearing on the composition of the new Commission as the appointee will also serve as a vice-president of the EU’s executive and will be their country’s sole member of the Commission.
Mr Barroso maintains he cannot allocate any posts on the incoming commission until after this selection is made, arguing that the choice of appointee will determine his starting point in the process.
Sources in the European Parliament believe the new Commission will not take office until late January as parliamentary hearings to ratify the appointment of each individual commissioner are now unlikely to place before Christmas.
Mr Cowen, who has said the delay in making Ireland’s nomination will not damage the appointee’s prospects of securing a strong portfolio, routinely avoids public comment on Ms Geoghegan-Quinn or any other candidate.
His stance was no different yesterday. “I don’t want to add to any speculation about it and I just want to get a conclusion that is good for the country and I have just to finalise that discussion. It’s a political discussion as you know.”
Although the Government is known to have the budget and innovation portfolios in its sights, Mr Cowen said there were “absolutely no grounds for any speculation as regards to any portfolio because no commitment has been given” by Mr Barroso to anyone.
“He can’t actually construct the Commission until he knows who his High Rep is and where that High Rep comes from and then he has to see where he goes from there. But I’m in touch with him, I’m not being coy about it, I’ll be in touch with him again.”
There is speculation in Dublin and Brussels that Mr Cowen may offer Ms Geoghegan-Quinn’s place in the European Court of Auditors to his Green coalition partners. However, the Greens are not campaigning for the job.
The party’s official spokesman declined last night to comment. However, Green senator Dan Boyle said the prospect of the nomination going to the party was “not something we’re averse to”.
Belgian prime minister Herman Van Rompuy remains in the frame for the presidency of the council, although rival candidates, former British prime minister Tony Blair, Dutch leader Jan Peter Balkenende, Luxembourg leader Jean-Claude Juncker and former taoiseach John Bruton have not yet been completely eliminated.
Estonian president Toomas Ilves is a candidate for both the presidency of the European Council and the foreign policy post. Other candidates for the foreign post include EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn, former Italian prime minister Massimo D’Alema and Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt.