Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, responsible for technology and defense, announced his resignation from the European Commission
on Monday. In a letter, he accused Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of political maneuvering.
Breton, who has held his position for five years under Von der Leyen, was recently renominated by French President Emmanuel Macron to serve in the next Commission. However, he has now stepped down.
In a letter posted on X, Breton claimed that Von der Leyen asked France to withdraw his nomination without directly discussing the reasons with him. He also suggested that Von der Leyen offered France a supposedly more influential portfolio as a trade-off.
"Just a few days ago, during the final stages of negotiations for the future College's composition, you requested France to withdraw my name—for personal reasons that you never discussed directly with me—and offered, in return, an allegedly more influential portfolio for France," Breton wrote.
Von der Leyen has been pushing for gender parity in the next European Commission, urging member states to nominate female candidates instead of men. Countries like Slovenia and Romania have already complied by replacing male nominees with women.
It remains unclear whether Breton’s resignation was driven by the push for gender equality or due to other political differences. His relationship with Von der Leyen has been strained in recent months. He previously criticized her candidacy for the European People's Party in March and questioned her appointment of Markus Pieper as envoy for small and medium enterprises in April.
Breton's resignation leaves France in need of a new candidate for the next Commission. Speculation is mounting that he could now take a position in France’s new government, which is expected to be announced soon.
Von der Leyen has not yet responded to Breton’s resignation. Photo by European Parliament from EU, Wikimedia commons.