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PARIS — French far-right leader Marine Le Pen doesn’t want Thierry Breton as France’s next EU commissioner and said President Emmanuel Macron doesn’t have the power to appoint him.
“It’s the prime minister’s prerogative to appoint the European commissioner, not the president of the Republic’s,” she told CNews on Friday. Asked whether she was against Macron’s plan to name Breton for a second term, she replied: “Of course.”
A high-stakes snap election on June 30 and July 7 could see the far-right National Rally gain a majority in the National Assembly and enter the French government. If the far-right party wins, newly re-elected MEP Jordan Bardella is slated to become France’s prime minister.
In recent days, the National Rally and Macron have been publicly fighting about who will get to decide what after the election — including on defense policy and the pick for next EU commissioner.
While Bardella explicitly said he wanted to have a say on the name of the future French commissioner, Macron is already pushing for Breton — who’s currently internal market commissioner — to be part of the next European Commission.
“It’s my wish and I think he has the experience and qualities for the job,” Macron told reporters in the early hours of Friday morning.
But Le Pen wasn’t having it. “Emmanuel Macron is projecting himself into a victory he can’t achieve. He won’t be able to appoint Mr. Breton, there will be another majority … than Emmanuel Macron’s, so there will be another government than the one we know,” she said.
Former presidential candidate Le Pen, who’s expected to run again in 2027, added that Breton wouldn’t be Bardella’s pick. “Clearly, Mr. Breton did not defend France’s interests during his term of office,” she added.
Ironically, Breton was often accused over the past five years of being Paris’ man in Brussels, pushing France’s line and protecting French industries.
