Thierry Breton resigns as EU commissioner and attacks von der Leyen: “Questionable governance”

Brussels – Out of the blue, this morning (Sept. 16), in the EU capital, European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, resigned with immediate effect in a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, made public on her X account. Breton, the European commissioner candidate for France in the next College, accused the EU leader of asking Paris to withdraw his name “for personal reasons.”

At this point, it is increasingly unlikely that von der Leyen will be able to appear at the meeting scheduled in Strasbourg – tomorrow, Sept. 17, with the European Parliament’s group leaders armed with the list with the 26 names of commissioner candidates and the portfolios assigned to them. On the contrary, the EU leader appears to be in trouble on several fronts – from the risk of losing the support of socialists, liberals, and greens to the Marta Kos case in Slovenia – and how Breton left is likely to have side effects.

“A few days ago, at the 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, a supposedly more influential portfolio for France in the future College,” the French liberal revealed. As was already the case with Romania – which replaced the nomination of Victor Negrescu with that of Roxana Mînzatu – and with Slovenia – where the appointment of Marta Kos is becoming a national case – France too was pressured by European Commission leader to rethink its nomination to the College; it has yielded, even if, according to reports on Die Welt, at first, von der Leyen was inclined to give France an executive vice-presidency with responsibility for industry and strategic economy.

“You will now be offered a different candidate,” Breton confirmed before claiming to have “fought tirelessly to uphold and advance the common European good, above national and party interests.” Before closing the letter, the sharp attack on von der Leyen: “In light of these latest developments – further testament of questionable governance – I have to conclude that I can no longer exercise my duties in the College.”

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my colleagues in the College, Commission services, MEPs, Member States, and my team.

Together, we have worked tirelessly to advance an ambitious EU agenda.

It has been an honour & privilege to serve the common European interest pic.twitter.com/wQ4eeHUnYu

– Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) September 16, 2024