Thierry Breton, Internal Market Commissioner also in charge of tech and defence announced his resignation from the European Commission on Monday (16 September), in a last move to question von der Leyen’s right to reign.
Breton had been a Commissioner for the past five years in the college of President Ursula von der Leyen. He was re-nominated as Commissioner by France’s president Emmanuel Macron before the summer.
“You asked France to withdraw my name – for personal reasons that in no instance you have discussed directly with me – and offered, as a political trade-off, an allegedly more influential portfolio for France in the future College,” Breton wrote in a letter addressed to von der Leyen published on social media X.
Von der Leyen has been requesting member states to send women instead of men to achieve parity in her next college of Commissioners.
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France's powerful European commissioner Thierry Breton on Monday announced he was quitting his role with immediate effect, claiming EU chief Ursula von der Leyen had sought at the last-minute to bar him from her incoming team.
ReplyDeleteThe shock resignation of the bloc's internal market commissioner comes a day before von der Leyen was expected to unveil the makeup of her next commission, in the wake of EU-wide elections in June.
ReplyDeleteInternal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton announced on Monday his resignation, saying that the decision is connected with "the questionable governance" of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
ReplyDelete"A few days ago, in the very final stretch of negotiations on the composition of the future College, you asked France to withdraw my name – for personal reasons that in no instance you have discussed directly with me — and offered, as a political trade-off, an allegedly more influential portfolio for France in the future College. You will now be proposed a different candidate ... However, in light of these latest developments – further testimony to questionable governance – I have to conclude that I can no longer exercise my duties in the College," Breton said in a letter to von der Leyen posted on X.
Breton added that his resignation is effective immediately.