A rebellion within the European Commission against von der Leyen was led by French commissioner Thierry Breton, who had openly criticized the German conservative in recent weeks as a liberal ally of French President Emmanuel Macron. The appointment of a German party ally to a senior business role sparked dissent among several European commissioners, including Breton.
Just hours before he was set to begin his role as SME envoy, MEP Markus Pieper announced his resignation due to pushback from both the Commission and the European Parliament. Despite having signed the contract, Pieper had a change of heart after two other female candidates received higher scores on tests for the position. The appointment was criticized by EU lawmakers and commissioners for crossing party lines.
In an interview with Handelsblatt, Pieper accused Breton of questioning the selection process out of political motives. He emphasized that he had successfully completed a rigorous selection process and that Breton’s actions were disrespectful. Breton expressed his hope that the SME position would be filled promptly, but he did not comment on Pieper’s resignation or his accusations against him.