Thierry Breton announced his immediate resignation as European commissioner on Monday, September, 16, due to differences of opinion with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. He said on social media on Monday that von der Leyen had requested France to propose another candidate to join her Commission. "I am therefore resigning from my position as European commissioner, effective immediately," Breton wrote in the letter. The official candidate put forward by Emmanuel Macron explained that von der Leyen, who is in the process of forming the new EU's executive arm for a five-year term, had asked France to withdraw his name.
"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," wrote Breton. "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 concluded.
The relationship between von der Leyen and Breton has been notably tense since Breton led a rebellion within the Brussels executive in the spring. He challenged the president's leadership style as uncooperative. The French commissioner publicly questioned von der Leyen's ethics after the appointment of an emissary in charge of small and medium-sized companies in late January. This position is highly paid within the Commission.
German MEP Markus Pieper from the right-wing European People's Party (EPP) was initially chosen for the post. However, amid controversy surrounding a vote of no-confidence by the European Parliament against von der Leyen, Pieper eventually withdrew. This occurred right before a congress in Bucharest in early March, during which the EPP endorsed von der Leyen for a second term. The controversy took place during the campaign for the June European elections.
Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version.