France’s European Commissioner for the Internal Market has resigned and withdrawn his candidacy for a future European Commission position. This decision follows claims that President Ursula von der Leyen offered Paris a more influential role if French President Emmanuel Macron provided a replacement.
Thierry Breton’s unexpected move occurred just 24 hours prior to von der Leyen’s scheduled announcement of her new slate of commissioners. His resignation included a personal critique of von der Leyen’s management of the EU executive, adding another challenge to her already complex process of forming a new team for the next five-year term.
Breton, who was one of von der Leyen’s most prominent commissioners and oversaw industrial policy, defense, and the EU’s Digital Services Act, which regulates large tech companies, stated that von der Leyen asked France to withdraw his name for personal reasons without directly discussing the matter with him. He accused her of offering France a more significant portfolio as a political trade-off.
Von der Leyen’s actions, according to Breton, highlighted “questionable governance” within the Commission. As well, he announced his immediate resignation. A political ally of von der Leyen remarked on the situation as “a lovely mess”.
Breton did not specify the personal reasons cited by von der Leyen for withdrawing his candidacy. The decisions about which countries receive which roles in the commission are von der Leyen’s prerogative. There has been significant lobbying from major countries like France and Italy for powerful portfolios overseeing industrial and economic policies.
The resignation marks the end of a turbulent working relationship between von der Leyen and Breton. The two have often clashed over policies and styles, with Breton expressing discontent over what he considered von der Leyen’s heavy-handed approach and reluctance to delegate power or praise.
In response to Breton’s letter, an EU diplomat noted the evident lack of camaraderie between the two parties. Spokespeople for both Breton and von der Leyen did not immediately reply to requests for comment. Breton mentioned that France would propose a new candidate, although he did not specify a timeline.
In France, Macron’s nomination of Breton for another term had faced criticism from opposition parties, including the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) led by Marine Le Pen. These parties argued that Macron should have waited until after the parliamentary elections in July. Despite the RN not securing enough seats in the National Assembly to push its own candidate for French prime minister, it now holds significant influence as the largest single political party. The incoming cabinet, under conservative Premier Michel Barnier, who shares a political background with Breton, will require RN’s support to remain stable.
Several countries had previously changed their initial nominees for the commission, responding to von der Leyen’s push to nominate women to achieve a gender-balanced team. It remains uncertain whether Breton’s withdrawal will delay the announcement of von der Leyen’s new team, as planned for Tuesday. All nominees, one from each of the EU’s 27 member states, must receive approval from the European Parliament before assuming their roles. Additionally, Slovenia has yet to formally nominate its candidate due to internal political disagreements.
