An influential French member of the EU Powerful executive branch He resigned on Monday, criticising the leadership of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen just as she was trying to put together a new team for the next five years.
Thierry Breton, a French business executive and commissioner for the EU's vast internal market, who recently Clash with tech billionaire Elon Musksuggested that von der Leyen had worked behind his back to have another French officer nominated in his place to the next commission.
In a post on X that included his resignation letter to the EU's top official, Breton said von der Leyen's move was “further proof of questionable governance – I have to conclude that I can no longer discharge my duties at the College.”
The Commission proposes legislation for the EU's 27 member countries and ensures that the rules governing the world's largest trading bloc are respected. It is made up of a college of commissioners who have a variety of portfolios similar to those of government ministers, including agricultural, economic, competition, security, and migration policy.
Breton's surprise resignation came just 24 hours before von der Leyen was to announce her new team to the European Parliament. The commission was due to begin work on November 1, but there is speculation that it will not be able to begin before January.
European Commission spokeswoman Arianna Podesta said von der Leyen had accepted Breton's resignation and thanked him for his work during his first term. Podesta declined to comment on his public criticism of the president's leadership.
Within hours, President Emmanuel Macron named French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné to replace Breton. The commission could not say who would take over Breton’s responsibilities, including efforts to replace Breton. Expanding Europe's defense industry To produce more weapons and ammunition for Ukraine.
with a look at Gender balance For her second term on the Commission, von der Leyen asked each member state to nominate one male and one female candidate for ethics commissioner. Most countries proposed only one candidate, often a man.
Von der Leyen, Germany's former defense minister, has been pressuring smaller countries to change their minds. In recent weeks, a man who had been the preferred candidate for government in Slovenia withdrew his name and a woman was proposed in his place.
But France is not a small EU country. Along with Germany, it is one of the EU's political giants.
Von der Leyen decides which country gets which portfolios, and some of them, such as positions related to trade or finance or EU enlargement, are coveted by certain countries. Important positions such as the position of vice-president – there are seven such positions in the Commission – are also highly sought after.
Breton said he was the victim of these political conspiracies.
“A few days ago, in the final stages of negotiations on the structure of the future college, you asked France to withdraw my name – for personal reasons which you never discussed with me directly – and, as a political compromise, offered a supposedly more influential portfolio for France in the future college,” he wrote in his resignation letter.
“Now a different candidate will be proposed to you,” he said, without elaborating.
In any case, nothing is certain. The nominated members of the Commission will have to go through a tough test in the European Parliament before they can take office.
Macron helped von der Leyen claim one of Europe's most prestigious jobs and consistently supported her during her first term. It's unclear why she would do so, if she did indeed risk defying the French president.
Breton has upset some in the commission with his go-it-alone approach. Last month, acting without von der Leyen’s approval, he used X to warn Musk about potential “amplification of harmful content.” broadcast interviews With former President Donald Trump.
Musk, the owner of the social media platform, posted a derisive response. Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung urged the EU to “mind its own business instead of trying to interfere in the US presidential election.”
