Midland’s North West MEP Mairead McGuinness, has been voted in as one of the new Vice Presidents of the European Parliament.
McGuinness was elected as one of the 14 Vice Presidents of the European Parliament last week. First elected to the Parliament in 2004 she represents the Midland’s North West constituency for Fine Gael who are members of the EPP Group in Europe.
Over the coming weeks, President Juncker will put together his Commission. He has to work out how to place the nominees of each country to best administrative and political advantage. This is much like selecting a cabinet just on a bigger Chess Board. But in this case, each Commission nominee will also be individually presented to the relevant committee of the Parliament, who will put them through their paces and issue a recommendation to Parliament on the nominees’ suitability for office and the position they are nominated for.
There were calls for a committee hearing for Ireland’s nominee before they get their ticket for Brussels. Enda Kenny did not take kindly to the suggestion and it not going to happen.
There are calls from current Commission office holders that at least ten of the members of the Juncker Commission should be female. Membership is dependent on those nominated by the Member Governments. Jean Claude had better hope that a reasonable number of females are nominated, or he may run into another controversy when he presents his line up to Parliament whose members must vote to approve or reject the appointment of the entire Commission.