“Some people might describe him as inscrutable,” said one of his close advisers who, perhaps in keeping with the personality of the man himself, requested anonymity.
McGrath is “not somebody with any political enemies, not a factional politician,” the adviser continued. “He’s certainly a believer that hard work brings its own reward, rather than political maneuverings.”
The question, then, remains: Will this quiet unreadability end up being a positive or a negative in the cut-and-thrust of Brussels politics?
No cutter of deals
A sign of his unwillingness to play the political game ― or, as his rivals might put it, his lack of political nous ― came in July when McGrath visited Brussels. By his own account on LinkedIn, he used the time to “read up on the different portfolios, study background material and listen to people with extensive experience of how the EU system works.” He also met with Irish MEPs and the outgoing McGuinness.
What he didn’t do, however, was meet his new boss, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, according to people with knowledge of the situation. Some wonder whether that could turn out to have been a blunder.
After all, had he sat down with von der Leyen before the European Parliament vote to secure her second term, McGrath might have been able to cut a deal on a decent job for himself in exchange for promising her Irish votes. Instead, his visit to Brussels came after she had already been confirmed ― and, more crucially, after MEPs from his own party had voted against her.
