An influential French member of the European Union's powerful executive branch resigned on Monday, criticizing the leadership of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen just as she tries to assemble a new team for the next five years.
Thierry Breton, a French business executive and commissioner for the EU's vast internal market who recently clashed with tech billionaire Elon Musk, suggested that von der Leyen had gone behind his back to get another French official named in his place to the next commission.
In a post on X that contained his resignation letter to the EU's top official, Breton said that von der Leyen's move was "further testimony to questionable governance - I have to conclude that I can no longer exercise my duties in the College."
The commission proposes legislation for the EU's 27 member countries and ensures that the rules governing the world's biggest trading bloc are respected. It's made up of a College of Commissioners with a range of portfolios similar to those of government ministers, including agriculture, economic, competition, security and migration policy.
Breton's surprise resignation came just 24 hours before von der Leyen was due to announce her new team to the European Parliament. The commission was scheduled to start work on Nov. 1, but speculation is rife that it might not get down to business before January.
