Digital portfolio spells trouble for new European Commission

Just as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was preparing to present her new team, there is trouble over the line-up for Commission posts: The European Union’s current Commissioner for the Internal Market and Services, Thierry Breton, has unexpectedly submitted his resignation.

In his resignation letter, which the Frenchman posted on X, Breton justified his move by saying that von der Leyen had asked the French government a few days ago to remove his name from the list of candidates, allegedly in exchange for another more influential portfolio.

“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my colleagues in the College, Commission services, MEPs, Member States, and my team. Together, we have worked tirelessly to advance an ambitious EU agenda. It has been an honour & privilege to serve the common European interest,” Breton wrote in the tweet accompanying his resignation letter.