Macron versus Leyen: The next leadership crisis

French President Macron has blamed the future head of the commission von der Leyen for the failure of his candidate in the European Parliament. He has thus revealed a strange understanding of democracy – and triggered a new leadership crisis.

Macron explained that he had made three proposals for the EU Commission. Von der Leyen, a CDU politician, had decided in favor of Goulard. Leyen had also assured him that she had received the approval of the heads of the three most important parliamentary groups in parliament.

But Goulard failed in a crash on Thursday. With a large majority, the French woman was rejected after the second hearing – because of old and not yet completely cleared up affairs, but also because of all too vague answers to questions about her huge field of duties.

Previously, French Macron opponents on the left and the extreme right, but also German Christian Democrats, had taken up front against the former MEP. Macron is not only weakened domestically; he also feels betrayed by the CDU and CSU.

That is his right. In Brussels, the sparrows are whistling from the rooftops that the CSU in particular was thinking of revenge for the European elections and for the failure of its top candidate Manfred Weber. But by aiming at von der Leyen, Macron hits the Brussels institutions at a sore spot.

Now the power struggle between the Council and Parliament that began with the European elections could extend to the new EU Commission and its future boss. Macron von der Leyens used to be her most important support; now he could become her toughest opponent.

In addition, the three major parliamentary groups – conservatives, social democrats and liberals – are in danger of finally falling out. The Liberals have now sworn revenge, just like the Conservatives did before them. Renew Europe” becomes “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”.

This threatens the already narrow majority for von der Leyen. Only the Greens supported the CDU politician – as they did in the spring when they courted CSU weavers. But that doesn’t help much at the moment; the crisis is likely to delay the start of the entire commission.

Macron’s outburst of anger and the violent reaction in Brussels show that the leadership crisis in the EU has still not been resolved and that the power struggle between France and Germany continues. The next five years could be bitter, for all concerned…

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)