EU official Thierry Breton, who clashed with Elon Musk, abruptly quits post
An influential French member of the European Unionâs powerful executive branch resigned on Monday, criticizing the leaŕ˛dership of European Commission President âUrsula von der Leyen just as she tries to assemble a new team for the next five years.
Thierry Breton, a French business executive and commissioner for the EUâs vast internal market who recently clashed with tech billionaire Elon Musk, suggested that von der Leyen hđĽad gone behind his back to get another French offđicial named in his place to the next commission.
In a post on X that contained his resignation letter to the EUâs top official, Breton said that von der Leyenâs move was âfurther testimony to questionable governance â I ę§ have to conclude that I can no longer exercise my duties in the College.â
The commission proposes legislation for the EUâs 27 member countries and ensures that the rules governing the worldâs biggest trading bloc are respected. Itâs made up of a College of Commissioners with a range of portfolios similar to those of government ministers, including đagriculture, economic, competition, ꌌsecurity and migration policy.
Bretonâs surprise resignation came just 24 hours before von der Leyen was due to announce her new team to the Europeađn Parliament. The commission was scheduled to start work on Nov. 1, but speculation is rife that it might not get down to business before January.
European Commission spokeswoman Arianna Podesta said that von der Leyen had accepted đŚŕˇ´Bretonâs resignation and thanked him for his work during her first term. Podesta declined to comment on his very public criticism of the presidentâs leadership.
Within đhours, President Emmanuel Macron nominated Franceâs foreign minister, StĂŠphane SĂŠjournĂŠ, in Bretonâs place. The commission couldnât say who might take over Bretonâs responsibilities, which have included efforts to to make more weapons and ammunitiđĄon for Ukraine.
With an eye to keeping a within the commission for her second term at the helm, von der Leyen had asked each member country to sđupply the name of a male and female candidate for policy commissioner. Most only proposed one candidate, often a man.
Von der Leyen, a former German defense minister, has been pressing smaller countries to change their minds. In recent weeks, a man who was the preferred cađndidate of the government in Slovenia withdrew and a woman was proposed in hâis place.
But FranęŚce is no small EU country. It ranks, along with Germany, at the top of the blocâs political heavyweights.
Von der Leyen decides which country gets which portfolio, and some of them, like those involving trade or finance or EU enlargement, are coveted by certain countࡴries. Plum jobs like the post of vice president -â the commission has seven of these -â are also much sought after.
Breton suggested that he was ęŚa victim of these political machinations.
âA few days ago, in the very final stretch of negotiations on the compođsition of the future College, you asked France to withdraw my name â for personal reasons that in no instance you have discussed directly with me -â and offered, as a political trade-off, an allegedly more influential portfolio for France in the future Cđ§ollege,â he wrote in his resignation letter.
âYou will now be proposed a differenęŚt candidate,â he ęŚsaid, without elaborating.
In any case, nothing is set in stone. The commission nomę§inees must still pass a grilling in the European Parliament to take offâice.
Macron helped von der Leyen to claim one of Europeâs most coveted jobs and has consistently supported her throughout her first term in office. Itâs unclear why she might risk defying the French prđesident, if indeed she has.
Breton has irritated some in the commission with his go-it-alone approach. Acting last month without von der Leyenâs approval, he took to X to warn Musk of possible âamplification of harmful contentâ by broadcasting an interview with former President Donald Trump.
Musk, who owns the social medâia platform, posted a derogatory reply. Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung urged the EU to âmind their own business instead of trying to meddle in the US presidenđťtial election.â