Will France gain more influence in the next European Commission?

Ursula von der Leyen ended weeks of speculation and political wrangling when she announced her team of European Commissioners in her official address to the European Parliament on Tuesday.

Among those who made the cut is France’s Stéphane Séjourné, who the European Commission president named as one of her executive vice presidents, assigning him the prosperity and industrial strategy portfolio.

Yet, things didn’t look so good for France earlier this week. Its former Commissioner Thierry Breton, who was in charge of the internal market, resigned on Monday, accusing von der Leyen of “questionable governance”.

With Breton’s dramatic departure, those in Brussels and Paris alike have been left wondering whether Séjourné’s appointment as one of the commission’s six VPs is a step up for France. 

“Overall, France has a good position in this new commission, Séjourné will be granted a large portfolio”, Olivier Costa, political scientist at Sciences Po and the CNRS, told Euronews.

Yet despite becoming one of the European Commission’s “heavyweights” in being sworn in as a vice president, Séjourné may have his work cut out for him in making his — and France’s — voice heard compared to his predecessor, according to Costa.

“Breton was very powerful within the commission and able to take on von der Leyen and challenge her,” he said.

Macron’s ‘clone’ in the commission

The conservative European People’s Party — which von der Leyen presides over — is the largest group in the European Parliament, but also commands 15 of the 27 posts in the commission. The European centrist Renew group and the left-wing Social Democrats are set to have five seats each.

“France will be weaker, given Emmanuel Macron belongs to the liberal European family,” Costa warned. “The shift in the political equilibrium within the European Commission will worry the president.”

In France, much of the response to the announcement of the European Commission’s new makeup was levelled at President Macron’s decision to replace Thierry Breton with Séjourné.

A long-term Macron ally, Séjourné became France’s youngest minister for Europe and foreign affairs in January. 

His closeness to Macron has not gone unnoticed by France’s left wing, which has been critical of the decision to get rid of Breton and has accused Macron of defying the will of the people following France’s fragmented legislative elections in July.

“Macron is sending his clone to the commission without consulting anyone and in defiance of the French vote,” Manon Aubry, MEP from the far-left La France Insoumise party (LFI), said on X. “The permanent power grab continues.”

On Tuesday, LFI launched a destitution motion against President Emmanuel Macron in the National Assembly. 

Criticism also abounded at the other end of the spectrum.

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French National Rally politician Laurent Jacobelli accused Macron of promoting “the Republic of mates” in an interview on French TV channel LCI. 

“For the far-right, the fact that Emmanuel Macron was forced to change his candidate works in their favour,” Costa said. “They can claim that the European Commission decides everything and that France has no sovereignty.”

Regardless of the support in his home country, Séjourné must now undergo a parliamentary hearing and confirmation vote along with other nominated commissioners before they can be installed in their roles.

In light of current delays, the formation of the next European Commission could be postponed past the original target of early November.

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