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Politics: The surprise ouster of Thierry Breton from the European Commission
Politics: The surprise ouster of Thierry Breton from the European Commission
(France 2)
Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner, will ultimately not be reappointed. He resigned on Monday, September 16, pointing to the responsibility of Ursula von der Leyen.
Just a few days ago, Thierry Breton had no doubts: he would continue to be the voice of France within the European Commission. He announced his resignation on the morning of Monday, September 16. In a letter addressed to the President, he wrote: “You asked France to remove my name (…) I must conclude that I can no longer exercise my functions.”
In June 2024, he was reappointed by Emmanuel Macron. A central figure in Brussels, Thierry Breton did not hesitate to publicly challenge his style. In Parliament, some see it as a snub to the French president. “A humiliation for France”even believes the RN MEP Thierry Mariani. In his place, Emmanuel Macron proposed a close friend: Stéphane Séjourné, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs.