French EU Commissioner for Internal Market and Services Thierry Breton has resigned and accused European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Breton, who had been nominated by Macron for a second term, used his resignation to accuse von der Leyen of privately trying to convince Macron to leave.
“A few days ago, in the final stages of negotiations on the composition of the future College, you asked France to withdraw my name, for personal reasons that you have never discussed directly with me,” Breton's resignation states.
'Questionable governance'
This comes amid tensions in the Commission as von der Leyen has pushed for a more gender-balanced College of Commissioners. Both Romania and Slovenia have withdrawn their male candidates and replaced them with women, reportedly due to pressure from the EU president.
Breton's resignation also suggested von der Leyen offered “political compensation” for a more influential French portfolio if Macron withdrew his name – further evidence of “questionable governance”, she said.
X Corporation CEO Linda Yaccarino hailed the resignation as a “good day for freedom of expression.” The platform’s leader clashed with the European commissioner, as Breton oversaw regulation of tech companies in the form of the Digital Services Act. The commissioner openly urged X (formerly Twitter) owner Elon Musk to comply with EU legislation on content moderation.
The French president has named his close ally Stéphane Séjourné as Thierry Breton's replacement, who has the blessing of French Prime Minister Michel Barnier. The nominations for the College of Commissioners are not yet complete, with the loss of big names like Breton and Vestager leaving big shoes to fill.
Through Financial time
