Máire Geoghegan-Quinn (Fianna Fail-ALDE) was officially designated, on 17 November, by the Irish government for the post of European commissioner. Despite her experience and qualifications, her nomination will likely be interpreted as a response to the repeated requests by José Manuel Barroso for more gender balance. The former minister for education and then justice, aged 51, has a strong personality. Among her credits was a law passed in 1993, during her mandate, prohibiting discrimination against homosexuals. Doubts over her nomination mainly came from her participation in the ‘no’ campaign against the Lisbon Treaty and her absence on the national and EU scenes in recent years. Two years ago, she was posted to Luxembourg to the Court of Auditors. She could be awarded the budget or innovation portfolios. On 12 November, she met Barroso to discuss her interests and past experience.