President Emmanuel Macron's office said France has proposed Atos technology group Chief Executive Officer Thierry Breton as its candidate to head industrial policy in the next European Commission. The announcement comes two weeks after Macron's first choice was rejected by EU lawmakers.
Also in the race for the position could be Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier. Breton known to be a man of action could have been nominated by Macron for his knowledge about industrial issues. According to an Elysee official, “while knowing Brussels institutions, (Breton) will not have a bureaucratic approach to European issues, which is important for the president."
Breton was France's finance minister under late President Jacques Chirac and has been chief executive of Atos since 2009.
Sylvie Goulard, Macron’s initial pick for European Commissioner, was rejected by European lawmaker. This caused anger in Paris, where officials blamed German conservatives in the EU parliament.
Macron had negotiated with incoming European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen as he wanted to retain the important office to put behind a 'political crisis' and sought assurance from her that the new candidate would be approved."The portfolio will remain unchanged," the presidential aide said.
The Elysée is keeping a tight lid on possible nominees for the commissioner post. whether to run as candidates for the European Parliament election in May or to fill other important jobs in the next Commission, Macron has been facing difficulties in finding people with the requisite competence and political experience.
Each EU member state nominates a candidate for the Commission who must then pass a confirmation hearing in the European Parliament.
Breton, in 2017, had backed Macron, during his campaigns even before the first round of the presidential election. Unlike many top French officials, he is not a graduate of the ENA finishing school of government but holds a masters of engineering from top French school Supelec.
According to officials, though von der Leyen has emphasized the importance of a gender-balanced Commission, nominating a woman will not be a priority this time. However, another strong nominee would be Laurence Boone, currently chief economist at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
