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Sylvie Goulard, proposed by Emmanuel Macron for the french position of EU Commissioner, did not pass the examination of the Members of the European Parliament, last Thursday in Brussels. It was her second hearing, as the first did not finish better.
Reassured by her important friends in the European institutions, because she was MEP within the liberals of ELDR and worked in the cabinet of Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission in the 2000s, she thought it was simple.
But possible investigations on her possible misuse of European funds, it required at least to show exceptional skills to dissolve the shadows.
Instead, her performance was judged insufficient and the Members spoke out against the former French Defense Minister. It is no coincidence that the Macron candidate was also attacked by French EPP Members. Then she was also fiercely attacked by Polish Members of PiS (on funds from think-tanks) and the Greens. Watch the Hearing recordings below.
The sacrifice of Goulard is added to the rejection, without even the hearings, of two other candidate Commissioners. Rovana Plumb, proposed by the socialist romanian government and László Trócsányi indicated by the Hungarian government of Orban (EPP). Goulard is a Macron’s party member, affiliated to ELDR.
Therefore, the three major European political groups, EPP, S&D and ELDR have all equally sacrificed one of their candidates.
But, why?
Obviously there is the suspicion that every rejection is a vengeance. EPP and ELDR against Orban. EPP and ELDR towards the Romanian socialists, who have swept away the previous political class, now with a seat in the European Parliament. EPP and Socialists S&D towards Macron who joined ELDR in the European Parliament, denying its socialist origin and vampirizing the Sarkozy’s party belonging the EPP family.
The winner of this battle seems to be Manfred Weber, Leader of EPP Group, with three hits scored. More than the french and Romanian candidates, he sacrificed the candidate of Orban (EPP) without disappointment, as Orban didn’t support his candidacy as President of the European Commission.
Sylvie Goulard was originally to occupy the important portfolio of the Internal Market, Industry policy, digital, defense and space. According to “l’Express”, for the President of the Republic “the priority is first to save this broad mandate. It relies on this lever to revive an industrial policy of major European projects, after two years during which its attempts to revive have stomped, in a divided Europe.
His succession is not without constraints. France must find a name before October 17th. Emmanuel Macron revealed Thursday having submitted three names to the President of the European Commission. Ursula von der Leyen chose Sylvie Goulard.
His other choices were, according to a Brussels source, his defense minister Florence Parly and former presidential candidate Ségolène Royal. The name of Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier also circulated.”
However it could be complicated to find a successor to the Brexit negotiator, given the difficulty of such a dossier.
However three solutions must be found this week and Ursula von der Leyen can’t complain about the boring atmosphere of Brussels.
