He had discussed everything with Ursula von der Leyen, says Emmanuel Macron.
It is Thursday afternoon, French President has just been asked what he says about the rejection of his candidate for the European Commission. The MEPs had stopped Sylvie Goulard by a large majority. He must now understand how this could happen, says Macron on the sidelines of an event in Lyon.
He proposed three candidates for the Commission post from Leyen, Macron said. "President von der Leyen told me she wanted to work with Sylvie Goulard." Macron continues, "I told President von der Leyen: Watch out!" He pointed it out to the investigation into the phony employment affair.
Von der Leyen had told him that she had received approval for Goulard from the party leaders of the European People's Party, the Social Democrats and the Liberals, the three major groups in parliament.
And now that. The rejection with 82 of 112 votes. It is a clap for Goulard, a humiliation for Emmanuel Macron and in its effects a debacle that was difficult for the Leyen to grasp.
Not only French President wants to know how it came about. "Rejecting Macron's candidate is not the same as sending Victor Orbán's husband home," says an EU diplomat.
That sounds like trouble.
If you ask Daniel Caspary, head of the CDU and CSU MEPs, then it's easy. "Parliament has woken up," he says. "After Parliament was unable by its own power to enforce the lead candidate process, we have now shown that we can count on it."
This is certainly part of the truth: The refusal Goulards is a settlement with Macron, at least by a large part of the EPP and the Social Democrats.
Rejection from every corner
Macron has shown time and again that he sees European parliamentarians more as a receiver of orders. When he made sure that none of the top candidates for the post of EU Commission President came after the European elections, Macron moved to the continuing displeasure of many MPs.
Goulard's financial affairs made it easy for parliamentarians to remonstrate. Pseudo-employment affair, 350,000 euros from the think tank of the dazzling German-American billionaire Nicolas Berggruen, and then a resort in which Sylvie Goulard thousands of officials with sometimes completely different interests under one roof - under the European Parliament in the hearings are already candidates with less bulky luggage failed.
In the end, the rejection of Goulard came from all corners: European People's Party, Greens, Social Democrats, the Conservatives - all thumbs crossed. Only the liberal Renew faction was still there.
More at SPIEGEL +
For Ursula von der Leyen, the result is a big blow, even if you leave aside the wrath of the French president for now. The future Commissioner never made any secret of how much she would like to work with Goulard. Now the Leyen has to procure replacements, and convincingly. After all, it is important to fill the internal market with a core department of the Commission.
Time is running out. If it is to be confirmed by the Leyens Commission in Parliament on 23 October, the new candidates - along with a French candidate for the Hungarian and Romanian candidates rejected by Parliament's Committee on Legal Affairs - would have to attend the hearing no later than 21 October.
Von der Leyen demanded in the evening in a written statement to make the process now "speedy". Europe must be able to act. She had discussed this with the EPP, Social Democrats and Liberals leaders in the afternoon. The procedure, which led to the rejection of three candidates, was "democratic and transparent".
"Fair opportunity"
The events surrounding Goulard's rejection also show how difficult it is for Leyen to continue to assess the events in the European Parliament. At the latest after Goulard's first hearing on Wednesday a week ago, it became apparent that things could get tight for her. Manfred Weber, the EPP faction leader had the Leyen according to information from SPIEGEL initially signaled that Goulard have a "fair chance", but later also pointed out that the mood had deteriorated.
In the EPP, there is no understanding that Macron is now blamed by the Leyen for the failure of Goulard. "Goulard was his suggestion, but now he should take responsibility himself," they say. An appointment with other factions, Goulard durchzuboxen, did not exist.
The result shows how difficult the work with the Parliament, which was completely fragmented after the European elections, can still be for von der Leyen. The chaos potential of the 751 deputies is greater than ever. Von der Leyen itself was elected in July with just nine votes majority.
If she wants to push through her ambitious projects on climate change and other controversial legislative proposals, she must again engage in vigorous and time-consuming talks with Parliament. Means: The parliamentarians have also shown by their decision against Goulard von der Leyen, what to expect in the next five years.
And Sylvie Goulard? She took the rejection with greatness and lovingly said goodbye. Through Twitter, she thanked Macron, of the Leyen and those who voted her, for their trust. Apparently, she herself does not believe that her president will lead the battle for her into another round.
In the end, she probably did not trust herself to change things with her appearance on Thursday morning. Goulard made no new offer to the deputies. She did not apologize, nor did she promise a resignation in case the French judicature would file charges against her for the fake employment affair.
Only in the case of a final sentence, she would be willing, said Goulard. "You step back if you're convicted."
Now it does not matter.
/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/RC4B72FDDQXT46YR3YBE2AOT4A.jpg)
