Abrupt farewell from the Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton. The current French representative to the European Commission, whom Emmanuel Macron had re-proposed, has presented his resignation with immediate effect in a letter sent to the President, Ursula von der Leyen, in which he reveals that the German has asked the President to appoint another person in exchange for a more important portfolio in the new Community government.
In the letter, Breton recalls that Macron had unofficially announced at the EU leaders' summit in June that he would remain commissioner for another term. This was later France's official nomination, but in subsequent negotiations, Von der Leyen asked the French president for a change.
“You asked France to withdraw my name – for personal reasons that you have never discussed directly with me – and you offered, as political compensation, a more influential portfolio to France in the future College of Commissioners,” Breton says with some rancor. letter in which he also announces that Macron will propose a new name to Von der Leyen and communicates his immediate resignation. Breton has been released several times and his relationship with Von der Leyen is not particularly smooth. He was one of the commissioners, along with Josep Borrell, who He criticized him for hiring a CDU leader for an interesting position. as special envoy for SMEs.
The resignation of Breton, who was in charge of competences such as the new EU digital legislation or the promotion of the military industry, comes the day before Von der Leyen announced the composition of the new college of commissioners in which he had worked since the end of August, the date she gave the leaders of the 27 – with the exception of Germany, which she represents – to send her their proposals.
Von der Leyen asked for two names to be proposed, one man and one woman, to achieve parity within the College of Commissioners. She demanded this from all governments, except those that wanted a member of the current Community government to repeat themselves, as is the case with Breton.
Germany has faced a refusal from all governments, except Bulgaria, to accede to its request to make two proposals. Only seven Member States initially proposed women's namesincluding Spain with Vice President Teresa Ribera. Through the negotiations that followed, he obtained some changes that brought him closer to parity. “If you don't ask for it, you don't get it.” ” said the German woman recently.
The other problem Von der Leyen has faced is the anger of the socialists and liberals – the groups that, together with the popular, support her majority – at the intention to appoint a minister of Giorgia Meloni as vice-president of the new European Commission, which they assume that Italy will appoint a candidate close to the far-right prime minister, but they discredit Von der Leyen by placing her at the “heart” of European policies.
All commissioners must pass the European Parliament's scrutiny and the cabinet as a whole must then get its approval. The Socialists and Liberals are threatening to oust the Italian candidate, but the balance is difficult as this could make it difficult to nominate candidates from these parties, who also need the EPP's support.