Thierry Breton leaves the European Commission with a bang. The 69-year-old French Commissioner for the Internal Market is resigning from his post with “immediate effect”. In a letter, he claims that Ursula von der Leyen has asked Emmanuel Macron to no longer be France's candidate. He denounces the “questionable governance” of the European Commission president.
Macron proposes Stéphane Séjourné to replace Thierry Breton. Emmanuel Macron has chosen one of his closest associates to replace Thierry Breton: the resigning Minister of Foreign Affairs, a former MEP and former leader of the centrist Renew group, aged 39. It is “an immense honour”, reacted Stéphane Séjourné, who will go to the European Parliament on Wednesday. France is aiming for a portfolio “focused on the issues of industrial and technological sovereignty and European competitiveness”, the Elysée specified.
Barnier continues his consultations, under pressure from the right. In search of a balanced and renewed government, Michel Barnier finds himself under pressure from his own political family as well as from the Macronists. The Prime Minister received this Monday afternoon the three LR bigwigs: the President of the Senate Gérard Larcher and the leaders of their groups in the Assembly and the Senate, Laurent Wauquiez and Bruno Retailleau.
No government before Sunday? The government should not be known “before Sunday”, according to the spokesperson for the Les Républicains (LR) deputies, Vincent Jeanbrun. Michel Barnier has “a complex equation to solve” to form an executive that will have to include in particular “people who have experience” to get the budget voted, adds the deputy.
The PS deputies will not prevent the examination of the text on a potential dismissal of Emmanuel Macron, but will vote against its adoption. PS deputies decided on Monday to vote in favour of examining the LFI proposal to dismiss Emmanuel Macron in committee, but will then vote against its adoption in the Assembly, considering the procedure “doomed to failure”. Their choice, announced in a press release, should be formalised on Tuesday by the socialist representatives at the bureau of the Assembly, its highest executive body.
The budget documents requested by the finance committee were transmitted “during the day”, Matignon indicated on Monday morning. Prime Minister Michel Barnier will send the documents for the 2025 draft budget “during the day” to the chairman of the Finance Committee of the National Assembly, Éric Coquerel, who threatened to come in person to Matignon to collect the ceiling letters setting the credits for each ministry, according to Mr. Barnier's services.
