French European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services Thierry Breton has resigned, pointing the finger of blame at European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Breton, who had been nominated for a second term by Macron, used his resignation to accuse von der Leyen of secretly trying to convince Macron to drop him.
“A few days ago, in the very last phase of the negotiations on the composition of the future college, you asked France to withdraw my name – for personal reasons that you under no circumstances discussed directly with me,” Breton said in his resignation.
‘Questionable management’
This comes amid tensions in the Commission, as von der Leyen has pushed for the formation of a College of Commissioners with a stricter gender balance. Both Romania and Slovenia have withdrawn male candidates and replaced them with women, reportedly due to pressure from the EU president.
Breton’s resignation also suggested that von der Leyen was making a “political trade-off” in the form of a more influential portfolio for France if Macron withdrew his name, a move he said was further evidence of “questionable governance”.
X Corporation CEO Linda Yaccarino hailed the resignations as a “good day for free speech.” The platform leader clashed with the EU commissioner as Breton oversaw regulation of tech companies under the Digital Services Act. The commissioner has been vocal about X (formerly Twitter) owner Elon Musk’s push to comply with EU law on content moderation.
The French president has now nominated his closest ally Stéphane Séjourné as a replacement for Thierry Breton, who has the blessing of French Prime Minister Michel Barnier. The nominations for the College of Commissioners do not yet form a complete picture, with the loss of big names like Breton and Vestager, who leave big shoes to fill.
Via Financial Times