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Justice and the rule of law

New commissioner role

Letters to the Editor. Illustration: Paul Scott
The Irish Times - Letters to the Editor.
Fri Sept 20 2024 - 02:45

Sir, – Eoin Drea pours cold water on Irish commissioner Michael McGrath’s assigned portfolio of democracy, justice and the rule of law, a role he claims “nobody wanted” (“Michael McGrath’s new job in Europe shows just how far Ireland’s stock has fallen”, Opinion, September 18th).

He seems to ignore the increasing threats to the rule of law and democracy from a growing number of EU member states and right-wing political parties who espouse policies undermining the fundamental principles on which the EU is based.

Perhaps his view is not surprising considering that the European People’s Party, to which he is affiliated, harboured in the past some of the worst offenders in its midst, starting with Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán and his governing party, not to mention its support for other autocratic rulers in the EU’s neighbourhood such as former Macedonian prime minister Nikola Gruevski, now a convicted felon, or the leader of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic. Mr McGrath’s success in his portfolio will ensure that the EU remains true to its founding principles. Economic development and the rule of law are two sides of the same coin. – Yours, etc,

ERWAN FOUÉRÉ,

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Co Galway

Sir, – I disagree with Eoin Drea’s article describing the justice portfolio assigned by the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to Michael McGrath as one “nobody wanted”.

On the contrary, having an Irish commissioner in charge of European justice matters is a prestigious and influential one, and particularly important with the Irish EU presidency in 2026.

I worked in the justice directorate of the European Commission in Brussels as a seconded national expert. I now work in the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Luxembourg – incidentally, still linked with Mr McGrath’s new EU justice job.

I object to Mr Drea’s concluding comment that the joke is on Ireland. The justice portfolio is a high-profile and substantive one in any national system, never mind the privilege and benefit for Ireland at EU level.

Admittedly, it is also a clever appointment by Ms von der Leyen, as it is only when you are in an EU job that you realise how much Ireland has opted out of EU justice measures or delayed in transposed EU justice measures. For example, how many readers know that after Poland and Sweden join the EPPO later this year, Ireland with Hungary and Denmark will be the only EU member outside of the EPPO?

In Mr McGrath’s new role he will need to strengthen the EPPO, which investigates and prosecutes fraud against the EU budget.

We all have our blind spots and Ireland has missed some EU opportunities in recent years, but overall we are well respected “in Europe” and this EU justice appointment is a brilliant one for Ireland. – Yours, etc,

JOSEPH MAGUIRE,

Luxembourg.