Alfred Sant has voted in favour of Ms Mairead McGuinness for the role of Commissioner for Financial Services following a hearing in the Economic and Monetary affairs committee on Friday.

Sant, a member of the committee, said she gave a polished performance that showed that she was more than capable for the complex job. 

McGuinness won the support of the European Parliament to become a commissioner, in a 583-75 vote with 37 abstentions. Her nomination was prompted by the resignation of the former Trade Commissioner, Phil Hogan, for breaking coronavirus restrictions in his home country, Ireland.

“Coming from the smallest Member State in the EU, I can only welcome the appointment of someone with experience of how a small economy must navigate to survive in the globalised environment of financial services”, Alfred Sant said.

Her qualities and experience will be useful to have among those who will be steering Europe towards a well functioning capital markets union, a key dossier for which Alfred Sant is a rapporteur on behalf of the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament.

Alfred Sant also welcomed the fact that McGuinness demonstrated her commitment to non-negotiable transparency in the oversight of Europe’s financial services industry and the establishment of new policies for its future. 

A member of Irish party Fine Gael, Mairead McGuinness has also served as First Vice-President of the European Parliament since 2017.  She served as a Member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2014 for East Ireland and has served as MEP for Midlands–North-West since 2014, making her Ireland’s longest serving MEP.