Thierry Breton of France stepped down as a member of the European Commission on Monday and will no longer be his country’s candidate for the next EU executive body, an unexpected twist in the highly political EU power transition.
Breton announced his resignation on X as Commission President Ursula von der Leyen — whom he accused of “questionable governance” — prepares to announce this week who will be part of her new five-year team.
Hours after Breton’s resignation, France named Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne as its new candidate for the EU executive body, with President Emmanuel Macron’s office making clear he was vying for France to obtain a key portfolio centred on industrial sovereignty and European competitiveness.
Breton, one of the highest-profile members of the European Commission for the past five years, is best known for sparring publicly with tech billionaire Elon Musk and playing a key role in shaping the 27-nation EU’s Big Tech regulation, its Covid-vaccine response and efforts to boost defence industries.
In his resignation letter, Breton alleged that Von der Leyen “a few days ago” had asked France to withdraw his name as its pick for the Commission “for personal reasons” in return for an “allegedly more influential portfolio”.
“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 the letter.
Breton, a former French minister and business executive, was the EU’s industry and internal market commissioner during her first term. He had backed the telecoms sector’ push to get Big Tech to help fund the rollout of 5G and fast-speed broadband across Europe.
His and Von der Leyen’s relationship had taken a turn for the worse over recent months. The French commissioner, a liberal, had angered Von der Leyen by publicly criticising her nomination as the European conservative EPP’s party candidate to head the commission for a second term, EU officials have said.
Breton’s public feuds with Musk had also been met with dismay among other Commission colleagues, officials added.
Nevertheless, the latest developments were a surprise, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said, adding that Breton had been expected to be reappointed by Von der Leyen.
The move can also been seen as a power play between the EU’s two biggest heavyweights, Von der Leyen’s home country Germany and France, over who calls the shots in the EU, at a time when Macron is weakened at home.
As the EU’s second-biggest member state, France is vying for a major post in the new Commission team, which follows on European Parliament elections in June — the starting point every five years for a shake-up of key jobs in EU institutions that have a major impact on policymaking across the bloc.
Each EU member state will have one seat at the commission’s table, although their political weight and importance varies greatly depending on the portfolio.
“The President of the Republic has always defended obtaining for France a key portfolio of European Commissioner, focused on the issues of industrial, technological sovereignty and European competitiveness,” Macron’s office said in a statement.
“This is the meaning of all the contacts he has had with the President of the European Commission since her election by the European Parliament.”
Having to replace Breton is likely to add to Macron’s woes at a time when he is still trying to pull together a government at home with new Prime Minister Michel Barnier, after having lost EU and French parliamentary elections.