As the European election campaign intensifies, tensions between French commissioner Thierry Breton and German Commission President Ursula von der Leyen continue to rise. The appointment of a German party ally to a senior business role was met with dissent by Breton and three other commissioners who expressed their hope that the position would be filled promptly. This rebellion against von der Leyen was instigated by Breton, a liberal ally of French President Emmanuel Macron, who has openly criticized von der Leyen in recent weeks.
German MEP Markus Pieper resigned from his role as SME envoy just hours before he was set to begin. Despite having signed the contract, Pieper had a change of heart due to pushback from both the Commission and the European Parliament. During the selection process, 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 Breton’s actions were disrespectful.