Varadkar allies urge top Europe job for a reluctant Coveney

Tánaiste seen as a threat to Leo leadership after strong handling of Brexit

SUPPORTERS of Leo Varadkar are planning to make Simon Coveney a surprise – and not very willing – entrant to the race to become Ireland’s next EU Commissioner.

The coveted post pays a total of €336,446.65 a year before tax, as well as a raft of pensions and expenses.

Up to recent weeks, Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan, who is believed to have been ‘supportive’ of Mr Varadkar’s leadership before and after the election, was the clear favourite to be reappointed.

Mr Hogan is believed to be enthusiastic about continuing his work in Europe and is characterised as being an ‘influential’ figure.

In the party, however, the prospect of a ‘surprise’ appointment of Mr Coveney is being increasingly canvassed. And the strongest advocates for such a move are from the Taoiseach’s camp. Mr Varadkar defeated Mr Coveney in the Fine Gael leadership race in 2017.

One influential factor in the sudden rise of Mr Coveney has been the strong performance of the Foreign Affairs Minister throughout the Brexit tangle.

A source, close to the Varadkar camp, noted: ‘Brexit is far from being resolved. This is a decadelong issue. Ireland must send our best man, or rather individual, to Europe.’

Mr Coveney is believed to be anxious to remain in his current Ministry with a pro-Coveney source saying: ‘Foreign Affairs is Simon’s dream portfolio. Cork’s new Peter Barry and all that.

‘He is not a living saint, of course. He feels he has unfinished business with the leadership, and doesn’t want to be too far away from the Fine Gael house in case a fire starts.’

One minister warned though that: ‘Simon may not know it yet, but Simon is the man. He would certainly be a reluctant candidate, but Simon should note he faces stark choices too.

‘Nothing is certain. He might turn down the Commissioner’s job and find himself spending five years as a backbench TD.

‘He is the perfect Leo choice. He represents the new Ireland. Phil is a bit of a dinosaur. He did great work for us once, but that was a long time ago.

‘He and his friend Juncker; they belong to the past. There is a new broom coming through Europe. The age of winking and nodding is over.’

Phil Hogan, they added, ‘is an Enda Kenny legacy issue. It is time to finish the clean-up’.

Another source, however admitted: ‘There is more than an element of self interest in this. It has been noted that Simon has seriously outperformed Leo when it comes to Brexit.’

Simon, they said, ‘has been the mature elder brother in the relationship. Leo has been erratic and unsure. It has not rebounded to his credit. It has kind of spooked the Leo camp.

‘Of course, it helps that he is the perfect man for the job – all that high seriousness. You wouldn’t find Simon going on about Love Actually in Downing Street or writing notes to Kylie.’

But they added: ‘Ultimately, this is all about the court. The concern is that, should things get rough, you don’t want to have Simon hanging around the place. Just in case.

‘It would be better to keep him busy somewhere else for a while.’

One senior source close to the Varadkar camp noted: ‘Simon would have to ask himself what happens after Brexit.

‘He won’t be the star anymore. He will just get the foreign trips Leo doesn’t want, and up and down to the North once a fortnight. It’s not so attractive, is it?’

Minister Coveney did not respond to a request for comment.

‘Ireland must send our best man to Europe’