Sylvie Goulard, the French candidate for the Internal Market portfolio and close ally of President Emmanuel Macron, went through a heated interrogation yesterday before the Internal Market, Industry, Legal Affairs and Cultural Affairs committees, reports EURACTIV.
MEPs from rival groups asked more questions about her personal integrity and her past activities rather than about her expertise for the new post.
The former MEP had a brief stint as defence minister before resigning in 2017 over a parliamentary assistants scandal. The case is still under investigation by the European Anti-Fraud Office OLAF and the French authorities. However, the EU body had found no illegal activity and Goulard had to repay approximately €45,000.
But sources told EURACTIV.fr that the reasons behind the attack were politically-motivated.
“It’s a settling of scores, the EPP and Social Democrats have lost their candidates. Now they want to take revenge on a Renew candidate,” said a source in the European Parliament.