EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, a prominent figure in the European Commission, questioned the confidence of the European People’s Party (EPP) in Ursula von der Leyen’s leadership, after the EU Commission President faced a vote on her re-election by her party last week.
The move infuriated French President Emmanuel Macron who, according to a French official speaking to Politico, was left “extremely angry” by Breton’s comments.
The French official said Breton’s comments were “a real mistake” and showed a “serious lack of political sense”.
They added: “Not only has it not been discussed with Macron, but it has made him extremely angry.”
Von der Leyen faced an unexpected challenge as she sought re-election for a second five-year term at the helm of the European Union’s powerful executive body from her party.
The EPP, her own political family, delivered a surprising blow by outvoting her in a party vote during the Congress in Bucharest.
Despite facing no clear rival, von der Leyen failed to secure unanimous support within the EPP, garnering 400 votes in favour, while 89 delegates voted against her re-election, with 10 abstentions among the 801 delegates present at the Congress.
In a thinly veiled swipe at his boss, Breton wrote on X: “Despite her qualities, Ursula von der Leyen [has been] outvoted by her own party.
“The real question now: Is it possible to (re) entrust the management of Europe to the EPP for 5 more years, or 25 years in a row? The EPP itself does not seem to believe in its candidate.”
Despite the setback, the vote resulted in an endorsement for Ursula von der Leyen’s bid for a second term as head of the European Commission, a role she has held since 2019.
