THE BOSS, THE SUBMISSIVE... AND THE CLEVER OPERATOR

There was a time, and I can testify to it, when the President of the European Commission was selected during a tête-à-tête between the French President and the German Chancellor, in a modest office at the French Representation in Brussels. That time is long gone.

As she begins her second term at the helm of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen has now established herself as the true leader of Europe, in defiance of the treaties. In 2019, she was appointed by default after a controversial tenure as Germany's Defense Minister, yet she has effectively reappointed herself without debate, basking in her self-proclaimed role as war leader in Ukraine and alleged victor over COVID. She now dictates to the member states the composition of her team (the "College of Commissioners"), sets her own agenda, and encroaches more and more on national sovereignty—from housing policies to defense, health to digital affairs, and even foreign policy.

The Commission, originally intended as a tool to serve the member states in carrying out shared policies, is increasingly morphing into a quasi-supergovernment with legislative initiative, loosely overseen by a pseudo-Parliament devoid of any real constituency.

With the removal of the outgoing French Commissioner, Thierry Breton—who had just been reappointed by the French President—Ursula confirmed her ability to outwit a weakened Emmanuel Macron, undermining one of the founding members of the Union. Initially, Ursula allowed Macron to nominate Breton in exchange for her own confirmation, only to announce, once she was secure in her position, that Breton would not receive the portfolio Paris had hoped for. Instead, another candidate would be given a more significant role.

On his part, driven by unrelenting ambition, Breton had thought he could directly challenge his former boss, even to the point of positioning himself as her successor. In the end, however, he was dismissed, with Macron begrudgingly agreeing to replace him with his preferred apparatchik, the inconspicuous Stéphane Séjourné.

Although Macron tries to maintain appearances by appointing the French Commissioner in Brussels single-handedly, under the pretext of his so-called "presidential prerogative," it is France that emerges as the major loser in this affair. Even with the grandiose title of Vice-President (one of six) in charge of "Industrial Strategy," the low-profile Séjourné, whose "Renew" party holds little weight compared to von der Leyen's EPP, will struggle to assert himself. France will lose its grip on the major technological and trade issues it had hoped to lead.

In this labyrinthine maneuvering—something in which the Eurocrats specialize—Breton, as usual, managed to stage his exit with flair, resigning in dramatic fashion just before his expected dismissal. A seasoned operator, Breton knows the game well. Despite making a splash in the media, his accomplishments are dubious: his much-publicized contribution to the COVID vaccine effort came seven months after the Americans, and his claims of spearheading Europe’s military-industrial rearmament have yet to bear tangible results. Not to mention his clash with the infamous Elon Musk.

Previously, this specialist in “rescuing” troubled companies (Bull, Thomson, France Télécom) had a stint at Bercy under Prime Ministers Raffarin and Villepin. During that period, the national debt soared, even more than under Jospin, as noted by the Cour des Comptes led by Philippe Séguin, despite the financial sleight-of-hand in 2006, such as the scandalous sale of motorways for 16 billion euros. After Bercy, he moved on to Atos, the French IT giant, which he left burdened with a mountain of debt after a frenzy of acquisitions. The company has since lost 90% of its value, plummeting from 5 billion euros in 2019 to 588 million today.

A sad spectacle that speaks volumes about France’s decline and the disastrous role of its so-called “elites.”

Pierre Lellouche

Tribune VA, 18/09/24