Thierry Breton, France’s EU commissioner who dramatically resigned on Monday, was never going to go quietly.
Under pressure during a full-blown domestic political crisis back home, French president Emmanuel Macron earlier this summer decided to stick with Breton as the country’s commissioner, nominating him to stay in Brussels for a second five-year term.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has spent weeks trying to decide how to allocate portfolios to her team of commissioners nominated by each EU country, a delicate balancing act that never leaves everyone happy. Breton, commissioner for the internal market at the time of his resignation, had reportedly been in line for a bigger role covering industrial policy.
In a letter made public on social media, Breton claimed von der Leyen had in recent days asked France to replace him with someone new “for personal reasons”. In exchange she would give France an even more influential portfolio, he wrote. Taking a parting shot at the German’s “questionable governance” of the EU’s powerful executive branch, Breton said he was walking away.
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The Élysée Palace was out quickly afterwards to say Stéphane Séjourné, the outgoing minister for foreign affairs who is a close ally of Macron, was being nominated as their new commissioner.
Breton had been one of the loudest voices at the top table of the commission, aside from von der Leyen herself. It was well known the pair often clashed; he had been prone to a solo run and at times openly criticised the commission president.
Any move by von der Leyen to oppose Breton’s return for a second term would have been about their working relationship, rather than her effort to get a gender balance in the team of 26 commissioners.
As commission president von der Leyen also counts as Germany’s commissioner, meaning keeping France happy is one of her crucial hurdles to clear when dividing out the new commissioner jobs. Politically it is very hard to imagine how von der Leyen would feel comfortable enough to move against Breton without the blessing of Macron. The twist of events gives the French president somewhere to land his ally, Séjourné, as France’s new prime minister, Michel Barnier, prepares to form a cabinet.
The latest upheaval could further delay the announcement of the portfolios each commissioner is to get, which had been in the diary for Tuesday. As of now Ireland’s nominee, former minister for finance Michael McGrath, is believed to be in the frame to take over the commissioner for justice job, according to several sources.
Von der Leyen would not want the late replacement of Breton to trigger the need for a total reshuffle. The more straightforward move would be to further dress up the role previously promised to Paris, but even that might require some movement elsewhere.
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