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Allocating EU top jobs: the never-ending summit

Inside Politics: EU leaders gather again in Brussels to seek if they can agree a slate of appointments

The European flag lies on a chair during the preparation for the election of the speaker of Parliament at the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, France. Photograph: EPA/PATRICK SEEGER

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Pat Leahy
Tue Jul 2 2019 - 08:14

Bonjour.

Brussels lore has it that back in the old days of EU summits - when the meetings dragged on and on, and agreement seemed impossible - the officials and functionaires would stop sending food into the room where the leaders were gathered.

While this would shorten tempers, it would also prompt Helmut Kohl, the German giant not accustomed to missing his daily ration of sauerkraut und zwiebelwurst, to engineer an agreement. It's probably not true. But maybe it's worth a try, all the same.

EU leaders gather again in Brussels this morning to seek if they can agree a slate of appointments to the bloc’s top jobs that has eluded them for weeks now. They have been there since Sunday night, so you can imagine the panicked shopping trips for shirts and underpants aides were dispatched on yesterday.

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And according to the Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte, there is no guarantee they will get out there today. Last night horse-trading continued into the early hours, without any sign of a breakthrough, though the hope was that Donald Tusk could produce a compromise package this morning that could gain sufficient support among the leaders. It's our lead story this morning.

Three things may fairly be said about the process and its goals. Firstly, it would be hard to underestimate the public’s interest in the spectacle of political leaders squabbling over jobs for political leaders. Secondly, it would be hard to overestimate the interest of political leaders in the allocation of jobs for political leaders. And thirdly, it matters who the EU leaders pick to head up the European institutions for the next term.

Anyone who doubts that, just look at the difference that Mario Draghi made when he took over the presidency of the European Central Bank from Jean-Claude Trichet. That change probably saved the euro.

The ECB post is one of the jobs the leaders must decide on, though nearly all the attention is on who will be the next president of the European Commission. Among the names mentioned in connection with that particular gig? L Varadkar. An unlikely consummation, though.

Europe Editor Patrick Smyth's extended coverage of the wheeling and dealing is here, and we'll bring you updates throughout the day, naturellement.

Farmers have beef over agreement

Anger and alarm among beef farmers at the trade deal between the EU and South American countries continues to grow. The Mercosaur agreement has been years in the making, but that doesn’t make it any more welcome.

It will open Irish beef farmers to competition from South American producers - unfair competition, says the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA), which is demanding an immediate meeting with the Taoiseach, as Kevin O'Sullivan reports this morning. The IFA will get a meeting, but it won't stop the deal.

There will, however, be a helluva political stink over this. The farmers are no longer the mighty political force they once were - but they can still make things very, very uncomfortable for rural Fine Gael TDs, many of whom will be saying in the coming days that they are wholly opposed to the deal.

As Jennifer Bray reports this morning, Fine Gael Ministers were lobbying against it before it was even concluded. The obvious question: so what will they do now? Rural Ireland has been a worry for Leo Varadkar for some time. This won't help.

Best reads

Good news! Beef baron and investor Larry Goodman has managed to (perfectly legally) largely avoid paying tax on profits of €170 million by basing his companies in Luxembourg. Colm Keena has the front page story.

Meanwhile, there's an interesting analysis of the State tax receipts from Fiona Reddan. It's not Facebook or Google (or even Larry Goodman) that's driving the Irish economy, she says - it's higher-rate taxpayers.

Kitty Holland reports that a third of poorer families' income goes on food.

Big extension of rent pressure zones, reports Ronan McGreevy.

Fintan on form: Boris, Brexit and King Lear.

Elsewhere on the op-ed pages, we have a smart piece from Goodbody economist Dermot O'Leary that recommends the Government adjust its supports to support home ownership by those priced out of the commercial market.

Playbook

The Taoiseach remains in Brussels for the EU summit, and with Tánaiste Simon Coveney in Moscow, this morning’s scheduled Cabinet meeting has been postponed. Officials hope it will take place this evening, but that depends on events in Brussels.

When it does happen, the agenda is said to be heavy with annual reports, but it is also likely to feature the public sector pay commission report into pay in the Defence Forces - a subject on which there is considerable nervousness in Government, as Martin Wall reports.

The long two weeks before the summer recess begin in the Dáil today, with the House scheduled to sit until 11pm this evening. The Taoiseach will be away for Leaders’ Questions, and so will his stand-in - so let’s see who the third choice is.

Leaders’ Questions is at 2pm, and there’s also health questions, Government legislation and Private Members’ time, which is a Fianna Fáil motion on mental health.

Busy day at the committees too, while the Judicial Appointments Bill - what else? - is back in the Seanad. Full schedule is here.

President Michael D Higgins heads to Germany for a state visit this evening. Read Derek Scally's interesting oped on the trickier aspects of the visit.

The candidates for the Tory leadership are in Northern Ireland.

And Northern Ireland issues will also be discussed - from a slightly different perspective - at the Ictu conference in Dublin.

We'll keep you posted throughout the day on all the above on irishtimes.com. So stay tuned. Keep your wits about you. Remember that for all the wheeling and dealing over jobs in Brussels, that is the way politics works. And today is the anniversary of the day when the greatest wheeler-dealer of them all, Lyndon Johnson, signed the Civil Rights Act into law in 1964.

The new act created equal rights in voting, education, public accommodation, union membership and in federally assisted programmes - regardless of race, colour, religion or national origin. It meant black Americans could no longer be excluded from public facilities such as restaurants, bars, etc. It wasn’t perfect, of course; compromises never are. But it changed American society forever.

So have a think about that. And do have an utterly, civilly, righteously, fruity day.

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