Thierry Breton. Image: ALDE Party/Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Breton became a high-profile commissioner in recent years over his efforts to regulate Big Tech, but some of his decisions reportedly caused tensions with others in the Commission.
The EU’s internal markets commissioner Thierry Breton has resigned from his position with immediate effect amid a feud with the European Commission’s president.
Breton made the announcement today (16 September) on X and shared a letter addressed to the Commission’s president Ursula von der Leyen. Breton claims that in July, von der Leyen asked France to withdraw Breton’s name as a potential Commission candidate.
Von der Leyen will soon announce her next Commission team, but Breton claims she wanted his name not to be included as a candidate “for personal reasons” and that she offered France an “allegedly more influential portfolio” in return.
“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,” Breton said.
France has named its foreign minister Stephane Sejourne as its new candidate for the EU Commission. Reuters says it was unable to verify Breton’s allegations against von der Leyen and that her office declined to comment.
Breton became one of the most high-profile members of the Commission in recent years, being a key figure in the EU’s efforts to regulate Big Tech. He was known as an enforcer for the EU around certain regulations including the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act.
The former French minister and business executive was also a player in some of the EU’s measures during the Covid-19 pandemic and has previously pushed for large platforms to share the cost of developing the continent’s telecoms networks.
One of Breton’s key feuds in the Big Tech sector has been with Elon Musk and his social media platform X. Breton told Musk that “you can run but you can’t hide” in 2023, after the billionaire pulled the platform out of the EU code of practice against disinformation.
But internal politics appears to have overcome the commissioner. Reuters reports that Breton’s public feuds with Musk were met with dismay among some Commission colleagues. Breton was also critical of von der Leyen’s nomination as the EPP’s lead candidate for Commission president earlier this year.
A Politico report claimed he had gained various enemies in top EU circles over his stance, including the EU’s competition chief Margrethe Vestager.
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Thierry Breton. Image: ALDE Party via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)
