Emmanuel Macron, Marine Le Pen clash over French EU commissioner pick

4 months ago 20

Leader of the French far-right Rassemblement National (RN) Marine Le Pen said it’s her party’s role to choose the future French EU commissioner, showing muscle two days before the country’s legislative elections.

Reappointing Thierry Breton as France’s commissioner in Brussels “is what I want, and I think he has the experience and qualities to do it”, said French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday morning (27 June) after the European summit, confirming earlier reports.

Asked to comment on the president’s remarks, the historical figurehead of RN, disagreed.

“Emmanuel Macron is projecting a victory that he cannot achieve, so he will not be able to appoint Mr Breton,” she said on Cnews.

According to her, if the president of the RN, Jordan Bardella, becomes prime minister following the snap legislative elections on 30 June and 7 July, he will have more than a say in the appointment of the French commissioner.

According to the polls, the RN is expected to make large gains in the French National Assembly and push to win the role of prime minister, which is usually attributed to the majority in parliament.

Constitutional practice

“It is the prime minister’s prerogative to appoint the European Commissioner”, Le Pen added, ignoring constitutional practice in this area.

“In practice, it is the president who decides”, in France, Sébastien Maillard, a political scientist and former director of the Institut Jacques Delors, explained in French media Public Sénat.

The French Constitution is not strict on the matter, but the president has always been the one to represent the country internationally, including on European issues.

The prime minister, on the other hand, focused solely on domestic matters.

But never before has France sent just one person to Brussels amid a so-called cohabitation when the president and the prime minister are not of the same political group.

In a similar case in 1999, the French authorities sent two commissioners. The choice was easily shared between the president and the prime minister of the time, respectively, the late Jacques Chirac and Lionel Jospin.

That said, Ursula von der Leyen, the frontrunner for the position of Commission president, is expected to ask governments to put forward two names, of which she will pick a champion as her commissioner-designate.

Fabrice Leggeri steps forward

Earlier this week, Jordan Bardella told the press that his camp was considering “different profiles” without being more specific, apart from mentioning the need to defend French interests, particularly in energy matters.

This does not mean the RN has its sights set on an energy commissioner post.

At the same time, the RN MEP Fabrice Leggeri feels he is in a position to represent France within the European college:

“I think I have experience and qualifications that go beyond those of an average senior civil servant or politician”, the former director of the European Coastguard and Border Guard Agency Frontex told Politico on Thursday (26 June).

The choice of parliamentarians

Ultimately, between constitutional practices and political balances, the choice of the future French commissioner could turn into a boxing match.

But nothing is set in stone.

“Formally, France will propose the name of a commissioner to the president of the Commission in due course”, Macron explained.

There are two options for Macron, Sébastien Maillard said in Public Sénat.

He “could argue that a Macronist candidate would have both a better chance of being awarded a major portfolio by Ursula von der Leyen and a better chance of passing through the [European] Parliament”.

Or “in a more political way, he could choose to let the Prime Minister’s candidate get his wings burnt”, he said.

The commissioners will also have to pass through the filter of the MEPs in hearings that could last until the end of the year.

Candidates will have to demonstrate their skills and interests. This examination is far from a formality, judging by the vote against Sylvie Goulard, former French Army Minister, in 2019, proposed by France before the Elysée put forward Thierry Breton.

[Edited by Aurélie Pugnet/Alice Taylor]