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.
President Emmanuel Macron had put Breton's name forward for France's spot on the EU executive team, and his reappointment to a sizeable role -- reflecting the country's weight within the 27-nation bloc -- had been taken as a given."In the very final stretch of negotiations on the composition of the future College, you asked France to withdraw my name," Breton wrote in a scorching letter to von der Leyen, posted on X.
"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," he wrote.
“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.
GR
FR
DE
ES
IT
RU
EU
Internal 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.