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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.
— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) September 16, 2024
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
“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.
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
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No wonder Teesh Simon is a fan.
So to highlight disinformation they have spread disinformation…..bit ironic no
@Toca Stories: no….they deleted them before they went out??
@NotMyIreland: yes they did. It’s part of their MO
@Toca Stories: the ads were never aired. Try reading the article before commenting.
Simon for tae shocked
Tick-Tock Taoiseach spreads a fair bit himself..
And btw Journal.. look at the Trump/FG trolls in the comments for last few weeks before throwing any stones at others.
yet our elected numb nuts in the dail continue to use it……ironic
TikToxic just needs to disappear. It’s cancer of the internet.
@Daniel Skelton: a bit like the comments section here, notice how only a select few articles can be commented on now.
@Andrew Giles: The Journal (of Censorship)
Wow ! Disinformation ! Is this a new word for bullshiting ?
The advent of social media in general has ruined the minds of people. It’s a toxicity, a cesspit, a breeding ground for hatred and false realities. It’s addictive nature is, in particular, destroying younger minds. 20 years from now, our species will be the dumbest It’s been as a result.
@Andrew Kenny:
Sure we can just identify as another species, I’m gonna be a fish.
@Regular John: I might be a cat myself. Lol.
If the posts ” “should have been immediately clear to any human reviewer” that these statements were false.”, why would it not be immediately clear to any human reader that they are false?
@Oh Mammy: I guess some people would not have seen them as false, because they would have comforted them in a narrative they already espouse (these people can be called, according to your own sensibilities, “woke”, “far-right”, “conspiracy theorists”, etc. Everybody has a go at someone else these days)
@Jerry LeFrog: are you suggesting this condition does not apply to human reviewers?
@Oh Mammy: I said “some”. I’m sure though that the vast majority of humans would be able to realize those were fake ads. At least 90%. I just have doubts for a small minority who don’t seem to think for themselves, and these pose a greater danger to the rest of us
@Oh Mammy: most first line moderation is done electronically. It usually only goes to a human if it’s flagged. Use the right words to avoid the flags and most posts will go live unless they’re reported. Then you have Facebook and X that allow misinformation and worse whether it’s flagged or not.
@Oh Mammy: Completely clueless aren’t you ? Do you really think “humans” review hundred of thousands of video every day?
@Alex: reading comprehension is not your thing, is it?
This is nonsense from this crowd.
Those advertismenets were not disinformation.
They were just silly.
Tik Tok just created a shocking election last Sunday in Romania, as a nobody WON the first round of presidential elections due to farms of bots and heavy influenced Tik Tok reels. Scary stuff. Read about Calin Georgescu, who had the 7th or 8th chance to win and he… won.
How about Irish election misinformation when the camera conscious woman says “I don’t care” and Harris is accused of ending the conversation.
Chinese tr4sh, what do you expect. It should be banned.
have your say