France’s European commissioner, Thierry Breton, has resigned, citing “questionable governance” at the EU executive led by Ursula von der Leyen, reports The Guardian.
Breton, who was in charge of the EU’s single market and industrial policy, announced his immediate resignation in a post on X on Monday morning.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, had appointed Breton to serve a second term as EU commissioner in June. But Breton said in his resignation letter that von der Leyen had asked Paris to withdraw his name “for personal reasons that in no instance you [von der Leyen] have discussed directly with me”.
“In light of these recent developments – further testimony to questionable governance – I have to conclude that I can no longer exercise my duties,” he added.
Breton announced his resignation with a touch of theatricality, by posting on X an empty frame hanging on a wall. “Breaking news: my official portrait for the next European Commission term,” he wrote, with his resignation letter following in a separate post.