LAST UPDATE | 16 Sep 2024

FRANCE’S THIERRY BRETON has announced he is quitting the European Commission with immediate effect, claiming EU chief Ursula von der Leyen had asked Paris to withdraw his candidacy for the incoming executive.

The shock resignation of the bloc’s powerful internal market commissioner comes a day before von der Leyen was expected to unveil the makeup of her next commission, in the wake of EU-wide elections in June.

French President Emmanuel Macron had put forward Breton’s name for France’s spot on the commission, and his reappointment to a major role – reflecting the country’s weight within the 27-nation EU – had been taken as a given.

“In the very final stretch of negotiations on the composition of the future College, you asked France to withdraw my name,” the bloc’s internal market commissioner wrote in a letter to von der Leyen, posted on X. “I am therefore resigning from my position as European Commissioner, effective immediately.”

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

“Over the past five years, I have relentlessly striven to uphold and advance the common European good, above national and party interest. It has been an honour,” he said.

“However, 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.”

The 69-year-old was seen by Paris as a key counterweight to Berlin’s influence at the heart of the EU.

Harris praises von der Leyen’s ‘meticulous work’

Despite Breton criticising her governance, Taoiseach Simon Harris has thanked von der Leyen for her “meticulous work” on forming the incoming commission. 

The European Commission President briefed Harris on the emerging composition of the commission in a phone call this evening, ahead of the expected announcement tomorrow.  

As a spokesperson for the Taoiseach: “The Taoiseach and President Von der Leyen have spoken half a dozen times in recent weeks about the incoming commission and they have remained in close contact,” a spokesperson for Harris said.

“The Taoiseach is happy with the overview he was given this evening and thanked the President for the meticulous work she has put into commission formation.”

How the 27-member commission’s portfolios are divvied up tomorrow will send a strong signal regarding the EU’s political direction and the relative influence of each member state – after EU parliament elections marked by far right gains.

Von der Leyen has been leaning on member countries to put forward more women to make up the bloc’s executive arm, after most – including Ireland – ignored her request for a choice between one man and one woman candidate.

The announcement of new roles was delayed last week over formal processes that had yet to be done in Slovenia. 

It’s understood that the Irish government is hopeful it will retain some type of financial portfolio but it won’t be clear until von der Leyen’s official announcement.

With reporting from Jane Moore