Sir, – We are dismayed that it now appears that the Government may nominate a male candidate only for the position of European commissioner, despite the express request by the president of the European Commission that it nominates both a female and a male candidate.
Ireland has had 11 commissioners since its accession to the European Union. Only one was female.
In 2019, Ursula von der Leyen asked member states to nominate both a female and a male candidate.
She did so against a backdrop of historic under-representation of women in the European Commission: of 183 commissioners between 1958 and 2019, only 35 were female.
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A media report quotes “a Government source” as saying that there is no obligation in EU law for Ireland to send two names – and absolutely no reason to insist Ireland nominate a woman.
There is a reason to nominate a woman as commissioner. It would be a small step towards achieving equality in Ireland and a signal to women that if they enter politics they may aspire to the highest office. – Yours, etc,
Yours, etc.
CATHY MAGUIRE, BL;
CATHRINA KEVILLE, BL;
SILE O’KELLY
MERRICK, BL;
MP GUINNESS, BL;
ADRIENNE COLE,
Procurement Professional;
CAROLE WALSH,
Swimming Coach;
FIONNUALA NÍ ÁINLE;
PHIL KILLEEN,
Women, Peace and
Reconciliation;
DEBORAH MAGUIRE,
Solicitor,
Dublin 3.
Sir, – The request made by Ursula von der Leyen that Ireland should submit two nominations – one male, one female – for the current vacancy on the European Commission has no basis in the EU treaties and should be rejected outright by the Government.
The treaties say that Commissioners are chosen by the Council of Ministers “in common accord with the President of the Commission . . . on the basis of suggestions made by member states”.
The only prerequisites are that nominees must be persons who possess “general competence and European commitment” and “whose independence is beyond doubt”. There is no gender requirement, and the president of the European Commission has no power of veto or to pick and choose who member states can nominate. To accept this would bestow that office with enormous power which has no legal or democratic basis.
As with all gender quotas, Ms von der Leyen’s position risks a system whereby member state governments will supplement their preferred candidate – be they male or female – with a token or inferior second candidate. This is exactly the position taken by several member states when the European Commission was appointed last year.
Not only does this reduce to a mockery the concept of gender equality, but it exposes the unsuccessful candidate to public humiliation by forcing them to publicly display their desire to leave their current job, only to find themselves having to remain sheepishly in situ. It also implicitly envisages a situation where the best person for the job may not be appointed and will be discriminated against because of their gender.
The two most qualified candidates for the current vacancy are Mairead McGuinness, currently first vice-president of the European Parliament, and former tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald, now an MEP. Both are immensely experienced, already based in Brussels, and would have a chance of retaining the important trade portfolio or another senior position.
If Ms von der Leyen wants to implement gender quotas, then she should petition the Council of Ministers to begin the process of amending the treaties to provide for this democratically. In the meantime, the Government should choose one – and only one – of these women and submit their name for appointment. – Yours, etc,
BARRY WALSH,
Clontarf,
Dublin 3.
Sir, – Mairead McGuinness is the ideal candidate to take over as our next European commissioner.
She has 16 years of experience in Brussels and knows intimately how the system works.
Her nomination would avoid a byelection in these traumatic times. – Yours, etc,
JOHN M LEONARD,
Corbally,
Limerick.