Alison O'Connor: Von der Leyen wants a woman to be the next Irish commissioner

We heard she requested a man and a woman, when the request was for a ‘woman and a man’, writes Alison O'Connor

European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, seems to prefer a female Irish nominee for a commissioner role. Picture: Francois alschaerts, Pool Via AP

Why have we been biting our nose off to spite our face, when it comes to our next EU commissioner? Surely, politics and common sense should be brought into play, as opposed to, say, ego and the old boys' club.

Even if you think gender balance in public life is a load of baloney, you didn’t even have to read between the lines to realise that a woman’s name had been requested and that a woman’s name should have been put forward quickly.