Only time will tell if Big Phil’s tack is successful

Pints of beer, trays of chicken wings, RTÉ news on the TV. It was a typical Irish celebration of an election victory. Except that it was in Brussels.

Sitting in the Old Hack opposite his new office, Phil Hogan was surrounded by his team: Team Ireland.

Some chosen, some volunteers, mostly Brussels insiders, and not just from his own Fine Gael party, but also from Fianna Fáil. Farming experts, policy buffs, EU nerds.