‘Big Phil’ Hogan back on top after very rocky years in Cabinet
His reputation as a slick fixer and deal-cutter was severely dented by clumsy handling of the property tax and water charge issue, but, as befits a keen member of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, Mr Hogan knows where all the political bodies are buried in Fine Gael and was always going to get the plum European Commissionership’s one-way ticket out of an increasingly unpopular government.
Turning that into the golden ticket of the Agriculture portfolio with its influence over €60bn worth of spending is an added bonus and shows that ‘Big Phil’ could be back on top in Brussels after three and a half very rocky years in Cabinet. Well, that is if he survives scrutiny from the European Parliament’s agriculture committee, but then Mr Hogan has always been something of a survivor.
Forced to quit as minister of state at the finance department in 1995 after a Budget leak row, the Carlow-Kilkenny TD re-emerged as Enda’s enforcer within Fine Gael after Mr Kenny took over as leader, and was the key figure in the fight-back against Richard Bruton’s attempted heave in 2010.
Mr Hogan, 54, was rewarded with the environment department after Fine Gael came within a handful of seats of achieving an overall majority after he shaped and directed the party’s most successful election campaign ever in 2011.
But that is when it all started to go wrong, stumbling through a succession of communication disasters as he bore the brunt of public anger directed at, first the flat-rate household charge, then the property tax, and finally by bringing in water pricing when only a third of homes will be fitted with meters by the time the bills pour through letter boxes next January. =
A political bruiser himself left bruised by a turbulent time in Government, Mr Hogan now knows a raft of Irish MEPs will be gunning for him during the ratification process — and that being Big Phil means they have a big target.
Priority issues
Compensating farmers suffering from Russia’s ban on EU food will be the first major issue on Phil Hogan’s desk as Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development.
Just where the compensation money will come from will be key — it could come from the super-levy on milk produced over the quota. Irish farmers are likely to be paying this levy, and Ireland wants to reduce it.
The EU-US trade deal will be a big-ticket time for him, with the US insisting the EU must accept hormone cattle and GM goods in exchange for other trade deals. With Ireland being a traditional friend of the US, this could create a conflict for him.
Food and climate change and issues such as the carbon footprint of beef in particular will be part of his remit, as will the mid-term review of the Common Agriculture Policy in 2017. But first he will have to face tough questions from the Parliament’s Agriculture Committee that is poised to ask him about his treatment of the Leader programme in Ireland, about water charges and his attitude towards Travellers. He is threatening to take one of the MEPs, Nessa Childers, to court, over what he says are her “outrageous allegations” on the Travellers issue.
But for the next few weeks he will be put through his paces by among others his new head of cabinet, Peter Power, former spokesperson for Britain’s Peter Mandelson when he was EU Trade Commissioner.
The line-up of the European Commission announced yesterday.
President: Was EU’s longest-serving prime minister. Working-class background, oversaw Luxembourg’s rise to become major banking centre. Knows where all the bodies are buried. Clever and street wise.
Vice-President, Foreign Minister in charge of External Action Service. Only one with role in both Commission and Council. Italian, criticised for her lack of foreign affairs experience and Italy’s friendship with Putin’s Russia.
First Vice-President: Most important person after Juncker. Multi-lingual, very well respected, Socialist. Will oversee the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness: Former Finnish finance and prime minister, tough on crisis countries, including Ireland. Portfolio, includes tax, employment, internal market, SMEs, climate action, transport, capital markets union.
Vice-President for Budget and Human Resources: The Bulgarian was hotly tipped to be the EU’s foreign minister as the former World Bank executive did so well in Humanitarian Affairs in outgoing Commission. New role looks somewhat dull for her level of competence.
Vice-President for the Digital Single Market: Former Estonian prime minister who called the repressive ACTA — the discredited secret trade deal to enforce copyright — “a very good thing.” Will work with a wide range of portfolios.
Vice-President for Energy Union: Slovenian prime minister resigned after her party turned against her. A financial expert. Energy union is seen as essential to the real economy, especially facing Russian threats to cut off gas.
Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue: Working mostly with economic portfolios and justice, the ex-Latvian prime minister oversaw its extremely tough austerity programme. Withdrew his name with the EPP group for Commission president, making it a two-man race.
Agriculture and Rural Development: Ireland’s former environmental minister will also have responsibility for part of the Research Executive Agency, Climate Action, Energy and the Euratom Supply Agency. Will be overseen by two vice-presidents.
Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs Union. Also in charge of social dialogue, to bring together the package of the semester — the EU oversight of national budgets. As former French finance minister he was under EU pressure to impose austerity policies.
Digital Economy and Society: German. Loyal to Merkel. His second term in the Commission, having done his best to steer his energy portfolio to suit German business.
Education, Culture, Youth and Citizenship: As former Hungarian justice minister behind the much criticised repressive media and judiciary laws, he is expected to be closely questioned by the European Parliament.
Climate Action and Energy: Ex-minister, MEP. Environmentalists not entirely happy with the Spaniard’s role because of his links with the oil industry — he said he has sold his shares.
Competition: Danish deputy prime minister. The Danes battled for an important economic post from where they could lobby to ensure their interests as a non-euro country are covered in the banking union arrangements.
Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility: Less onerous than was expected for this outstanding Belgian MEP. Closely involved with the development of the post-crisis policies in the EP’s Economics Committee.
European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations: The Austrian, outgoing regional affairs commissioner, will be the focal point for Ukraine and will combine some of the fundamental elements in co-operation with Foreign Affairs.
Health and Food Safety: Lithuanian who also takes over waste policy. Will be at the centre of attention, as the issue of how much information on drug trials should be public heats up.
Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management: The Cypriot MEP is a former government spokesperson.
Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs: Poland loses both its deputy prime minister, sending her to Brussels, and its prime minister, Donald Tusk, who will head up the EU Council.
Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union: British, plucked from obscurity for the Brussels job and given this portfolio in what is seen as an attempt to balance Britain’s nemesis, France.
Environment and Maritime and Fisheries: Like the previous Maltese nominees, he is under a cloud and is expected to get a tough time from MEPs.
International Cooperation and Development: Croatian politician and diplomat.
Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality: Was Czech Minister for Regional Development, and had hoped for a similar role in Brussels.
Migration and Home Affairs: Currently Greek Minister of Defence — should be interesting given Greece’s big issues with illegal migrants.
Regional Policy: The Romanian is the most controversial, having bombarded ex US secretary of state Colin Powell with indiscreet messages and photographs said to have been encouraged by Russian secret service. Her lack of experience for a portfolio with a €350bn budget will also be an issue.
Research, Science and Innovation: The post being vacated by Máire Geoghegan Quinn but without the all important Joint Research Centre. Currently secretary of state to the Portuguese prime minister.
Trade: The Swede has been in charge of Home Affairs for the past five years. She will now take play a pivotal role in the EU-US trade agreement.
Transport and Space: Slovak lawyer. It should be interesting as the EU’s massive satellite/GPS system develops.
“Poachers turned gamekeepers” best describes the allocation of jobs by the new president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker.
He has handed the big countries the issues that they have problems with, and given coordination roles to the former prime ministers of five small countries.
Ireland’s Phil Hogan, criticised for his handling of the Leader programme, will be able to better define its role and have a say over Ireland’s dairy issues as Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development.
Mr Juncker, who during his 16 years as prime minister of Luxembourg turned the small resource-poor duchy into one of the world’s wealthiest countries, is planning to take an equally pragmatic approach with the European Commission.
The emphasis is likely to be on business interests, with consumer and health issues and environmental concerns clearly under the control of vice presidents with a range of competing concerns, and an agenda to create jobs.
He has introduced a new dynamic into his college, creating for the first time a powerful deputy role and six vice presidents with coordinating responsibilities over other commissioners.
He denies that he has created a series of super-commissioners, something the Irish fought against and got undertakings on ahead of the second Lisbon Treaty referendum.
Instead, Mr Juncker says that he does not wish to be a dictator but to simply have his hand on the tiller, steering his college.
However, while he will fix the agenda for the commission — his commissioners will not be able to bring a proposal to the table unless their vice-president agrees.
Another hindrance to commissioners coming with their pet topics will be the first vice-president, Frans Timmermans, the Dutch foreign minister.
His role is to ensure that anything that can be done by national governments will be, and only those that need EU coordination will be dealt with by Brussels.
He is putting the emphasis on the political nature of his team of 27 commissioners, who he said he expects to have allegiance to the EU rather than their home country.
“I asked for high-profile people, they are all politicians, they have to be politicians and they have to behave as people with political projects.”
Among those political projects is to communicate better what is happening in the commission, and Mr Juncker said he expects his team to travel and explain to citizens the value of EU policies, “to bring citizens close, to be proud of the EU … lots of things are not going very well, we want to end that.”
He hopes that giving a major economic portfolio to Britain’s Jonathan Hill will help solve banking union issues that so upset London.
“Perhaps our UK friends will better understand the EU policies if they are explained in the most elegant manner, in the language of Shakespeare,” he said.
The Juncker commission has a ground-breaking, nine former prime ministers, 20 former ministers, 8 ex-MEPs and 7 returning commissioners. Eleven have backgrounds in economics and finance and eight in foreign relations.
At nine, the number of women reaches closes to one-third for the first time, although as Mr Juncker acknowledged, it does not constitute gender equality, but he has given three of the vice presidencies to women.
Mr Juncker has also streamlined the aspects and agencies under the control of each commissioner.
The new college of commissioners have their first get-together today and they will spend the next six weeks learning their portfolios before they appear before committees in the European Parliament.
The parliament — always interested in showing their teeth — may choose to reject a candidate or two, and because this means the rejection of the entire team, the President is usually ready to replace them with a more acceptable candidate.
The appointment of Phil Hogan as EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development was warmly welcomed by Minister Simon Coveney and the Irish farm lobby.
Minister Coveney said it was a very significant announcement for Ireland and recognition of the role the Irish presidency played in securing a Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) agreement last year.
“Ireland sees this appointment as securing a major economic portfolio which controls 40% of the EU budget.
“This Government has prioritised agriculture and food as a major economic driver for the Irish economy and this appointment will help deliver those targets,” he said.
Irish Farmers Association president, Eddie Downey said having Ireland’s nominee in control of Agriculture and Rural Development is testament to our standing in Europe.
Mr Downey said there were important decisions ahead for the agriculture sector, including the future direction of the CAP, excessive EU bureaucracy, climate change restrictions, EU retail legislation and damaging trade deals.
The IFA leader also welcomed the appointment of Limerick man, Peter Power as Mr Hogan’s chef de cabinet.
Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association president John Comer said Mr Hogan’s appointment was recognition of his knowledge of farming and wider rural issues, as well as his political doggedness and determination.
From an Irish farming perspective, it was very encouraging that an Irishman will now head up EU agriculture policy, which has a direct influence in every town land in Ireland and is our key indigenous industry, he said.
Macra Na Feirme resident, Kieran O’Dowd said it was great to hear Mr Hogan talk about the importance of food security and the economic importance of agriculture to the European economy.
“Central to this will be the encouragement of young people into the industry to address the poor age imbalance in the sector,” he said.
Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association president Patrick Kent said Ireland’s importance in the EU agriculture sector was reflected in Mr Hogan’s appointment.
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