The European Commission is facing a rebellion led by French Commissioner Thierry Breton against German Chancellor Angela von der Leyen following the appointment of a German party ally to a senior business role. Breton expressed his hope that the position would be filled promptly, but his dissent against von der Leyen was instigated by four other commissioners who are unhappy with the growing intensity of the EU election campaign. As a liberal ally of French President Emmanuel Macron, Breton has openly criticized von der Leyen, a German conservative, in recent weeks.
MEP Markus Pieper resigned from his role as SME envoy just hours before he was set to begin due to pushback from both the Commission and the European Parliament. Despite having signed the contract, Pieper had a change of heart after two other female candidates received higher scores on tests for the position. The appointment was criticized by EU lawmakers and commissioners for crossing party lines.
Pieper, who is part of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union like von der Leyen, spoke out against Breton in an interview with Handelsblatt when he announced his withdrawal from the role. Pieper accused Breton of questioning the selection process out of political motives, which he believed was inappropriate. He emphasized that he had successfully completed a rigorous selection process and that Breton’s actions were disrespectful.