Macron wants Breton to return as EU commissioner in a blow to the far-right

BRUSSELS ― French President Emmanuel Macron wants Thierry Breton to serve a second term as France’s European commissioner.

The move is a blow to the far-right National Rally, which claimed that it would get to nominate the next French commissioner if it wins a majority in the upcoming parliamentary election.

Macron’s announcement was first reported by Le Monde and confirmed to POLITICO by five officials. The French president made the comment about Breton, the current internal market commissioner, at a meeting of the liberal Renew Europe group in Brussels on Thursday before a meeting of EU leaders.

Macron would like Breton to be promoted to the powerful role of executive vice-president of the Commission with a big economic portfolio, but that would still need to be negotiated with likely new Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, two officials said.

The question of who should pick the future French commissioner has been a major bone of contention between Macron’s camp and the far-right National Rally this week.

National Rally President Jordan Bardella claimed the future government (which he hopes to lead), not Macron, should pick the candidate. “It will be among the first decisions we make,” Bardella said, adding he was “exploring” names to put forward.

National Rally President Jordan Bardella claimed the future government (which he hopes to lead), not Macron, should pick the candidate. | Pool photo by Dimitar Dilkoff via AFP/Getty Images

“It would be a coup de force if the president appointed [someone] before the elections and without the endorsement of the future majority,” a person close to Bardella told Paris Playbook.

Several of Macron’s allies, however, saw things differently. Speaking in private they admitted there is no written rule about who gets to make the nomination, but stressed that Macron should propose the next commissioner, as the president has always done so.

EU and French law don’t set out who should have the power to suggest the commissioner’s name in case of cohabitation, when the president and the prime minister are from opposite political camps.

The French are going to polls this Sunday and the one after to elect their new parliament after Macron called a snap election.