Frenchman Thierry Breton resigns as commissioner after accusing Von der Leyen of manoeuvring to relieve him

Thierry Breton leaves Brussels with a bang. The Frenchman has resigned this Monday as a member of the current European Commission “with immediate effect” and is refusing to be part of the next one. The current Commissioner for the Internal Market sent a letter early in the morning to the President of the Executive, Ursula von der Leyen, in which he accuses her of manoeuvring to leave him out of the next College of Commissioners: “A few days ago, you asked France to withdraw my name in exchange for an influential portfolio,” the text reads. Breton regrets in the letter that the German has not discussed this matter with him directly.

For Breton, this chapter is yet another of “questionable governance”, as can be read in the letter he has released on X. The harsh accusation against Von der Leyen is not surprising, since Breton and the president have not had a good relationship during this five-year period in which both have shared the College of Commissioners. In fact, it was very striking that when the European People’s Party named Von der Leyen as its candidate to repeat in office in this European five-year period, the Frenchman – who is part of the liberal family – published a tweet echoing the lack of enthusiasm that Von der Leyen aroused among the continent’s conservatives.

Even before the European Council nominated Von der Leyen to re-elect her as Commission President, Breton was the French choice to join the next College of Commissioners. He himself explains in the letter released this morning that on 28 June “on the margins of the Council” – that is, in statements before entering the meeting – Macron announced that the then Internal Market Commissioner would re-elect her, something that was ratified on 25 July.

Breton has not been just another member of the current Commission. The Frenchman has always sought prominence and his relationship with other members of the College, especially the Danish vice-president Margrethe Vestager. His steps have often been surrounded by controversy. The latest of these came this August, when a few hours before the candidate for the presidency of the United States held a conversation with Elon Musk on X, Breton sent a letter to Musk, owner of the social network, warning him that he had the obligation to control the hoaxes in order to comply with European legislation. The initiative did not receive any support from Von der Leyen and, in fact, the official spokespersons of the Commission made it clear that it had been an exclusive action without being consulted with the rest of the commissioners.

The formation of the next European Commission is proving very controversial due to the difficulties that Von der Leyen is encountering in making it gender-equal – at least 40% of members of one gender, male or female. As soon as she was ratified by the European Parliament, she asked the States to send her two candidates of each gender, unless the person chosen was to be reappointed, as is the case of Breton, or others such as the Latvian Valdis Dombrovskis.

[Noticia de última hora. Habrá ampliación en breve]