McCreevy relishing David and Goliath battle
His latest adversary is Gunter Verheuygen, who has the might of Germany and often France behind him. Add to this his reputation as a tough, dour man.
The German had hoped to be a Super Commissioner but the Commission President ruled out this.
Instead he has the equivalent that of overseeing the four economic portfolios, which includes that of Mr McCreevy's Internal Market and Services.
From the start the former Finance Minister has had Mr Verheuygen in his sights. Their first row led to the Kildare man threatening to walk out of a committee on delivering economic prosperity for the EU.
Now he believes Mr Verheuygen has forced him to weaken his negotiating position on the most important piece of legislation he is likely to have to deal with during his five-year term, the Services Directive.
Trade unions in several member states say the plan to get rid of national borders when it comes to buying and selling services from insurance to hairdressing means employers will get away with observing the lowest pay and standards available in the EU.
Mr McCreevy has learned that parliamentary politics is just one part of the EU game. The other is national politics, played on the EU pitch. The Services Directive has been used to beat politicians about the head in France over the past few weeks and is making them worried in the run-up to their May referendum.
Germany is not enthusiastic about it either for domestic reasons.
Mr Verheuygen will be a sensitive about anything that could upset the German electorate, too, as next year his party hopes to be returned to power.
Mr McCreevy gave journalists in the Commission press room in Brussels a taste of his old Dáil adversarial style when he took no hostages in his scantily-veiled attack on the German.
Why people would introduce draft legislation that "just will not fly", he explained, is probably due to their ignorance of aerodynamics.
The European Parliament has indicated it will dump the Directive in its present form and their support, together with that of the member states, is essential for it to become law.
Mr McCreevy also has the excuse that the Directive is not his, but one he inherited from his obviously aerodynamic-illiterate predecessor.
