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The seven reasons for Sylvie Goulard's failure

(B2) 82 votes 'against', 29 votes 'for' and 1 abstention, the vote in committees of the European Parliament on Thursday rejecting the French candidate Sylvie Goulard is final. Feedback on reasons for failure

No need to hide your face. It's a fail. This is the first time that France has seen one of its candidates rejected. A serious failure for the interested party herself, for the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen but, above all, for Emmanuel Macron. Everyone has a share of responsibility in this political tragedy.

The first reason: Emmanuel Macron's offensive electoral campaign

The asserted desire of the leader of La République en Marche to break the usual European political game, and in particular to split the main party, the Christian Democrats of the EPP (of which Les Républicains belong), was perceived by those concerned as a real declaration of war. This episode is sometimes forgotten in the inventory of reasons that justify a certain resentment against Emmanuel Macron, but it should not be overlooked. Because that's where it all starts.

The French president wanted, during the elections, to reiterate at the European level his brilliant coup which he succeeded in France during the presidential election: to break the traditional parties and take European leadership. It didn't really succeed, although the centrist-liberal group did achieve some breakthrough. His attempt to poach the ranks of the 'popular', like playing the Orbán effect as a foil to divide the party, failed, but it left its mark. The party saw him as an existential threat.

The ousting of László Trócsányi, the Commissioner appointed by Viktor Orbán, a member of the European People's Party, came like a drop of water. The EPPs had warned that they would make it a test of the centrists' willingness to cooperate. " If they [the centrist liberals of the Renew group] send the Fidesz candidate to hell, we will retaliate » confided to me, even before the start of the hearings, an MEP from the EPP. Feeling confirmed in rounder but equally firm terms, by another.

Second reason: the feeling of a French exception

Many MEPs wondered why the two commissioners, Romanian and Hungarian, had seen their candidacy rejected for conflict of interest, but not the French commissioner. A 'double weight, double measures' which struck, on the left, among the Greens, but also on the right, and especially in the ranks of the countries of the East. As a result, even before the hearing, in the corridors an unlikely coalition was forming, ranging from the left to the right-wing nationalists, passing through the Greens, the Socialists and the Christian Democrats, to be very harsh with the French candidate.

Third reason: the breadth of the portfolio entrusted to the Frenchwoman

Placing the internal market, industry and SMEs, defense and space, digital and audiovisual... under the responsibility of a single person had a certain political logic. But it was seen as too important and a gift to France. Sylvie Goulard had three general directorates (the Commission's ministries) under her control. « It would take a female hercules to handle it all ” mocks the German CDU, Christian Ehler, a little envious. " That's an impressive workload you have » quips the Croatian social democrat Biljana Borzan.

Fourth reason: to have underestimated the requirement of morality

Many deputies did not understand why the Frenchwoman, under the threat of an investigation for the parliamentary assistants of the Modem, had preferred to resign from her post as Minister of Defense, but refused to make the same commitment at European level. Invoking 'the presumption of innocence' all the time, and the difference between the situation at European level and a custom established in France, irritated more than convinced. " The same high standards should apply at European and national level remarks Danish Christian Democrat Pernille Weiss, followed by many Nordics, for whom you cannot joke about certain things. " JI don't understand that what prevents you from being a minister in France does not prevent you from being a commissioner Tackles German Social Democrat Evelyne Gebhardt.

As for her work done for the Berggruen Institute, a think-tank of a German-American businessman, when she was a deputy, the defense of the Frenchwoman was quite weak. Invoke the fact that this combination was legal, that it was not an employee contract but " consultancy », or that the whole thing was aimed at a very European objective, did not convince. The magnitude of the sums at stake, the lack of information on the work actually carried out, and above all the Commissioner's lack of regret have sown doubt. Everyone really had the impression that the businessman had 'bought' the former MEP's address book.

Fifth reason: French persiflage

Expected at the turn, Sylvie Goulard did not seek to be humble. On the contrary. She allowed herself to make harsh comments on some. " You too have a legal activity she launched to an MEP who hooked her a little too much. His only justification for the salary received from the Berggruen Institute — " this is a high sum but they correspond to the conditions for this kind of international consultations — showed very high self-esteem. His motto " I already answered this question » repeated several times, in a weary voice, was taken (rightly) as the will to teach the lesson. This little game tinged with arrogance and contempt was badly perceived in the hemicycle. " She was already like that when she was an MEP and she attracted some serious enmity “testifies a former member of Parliament. 

Sixth reason: pressures

Exerted on certain members of the assembly directly by the team of Chancellor Merkel and the President of the Commission, Ursula Von Der Leyen, as on the socialist side, the pressures which usually work have not had the effect discount. In a movement of collective rebellion, Parliament wanted to show its independence, refusing to let the law dictate to itself, as was the case at the last European Council in July, where the Chiefs had decided to override the system of Spitzenkandidaten (heads of lists) to impose their candidate. 

Last reason: the European Parliament's desire for control

This act is part of a continuous, cross-partisan movement by the European Parliament in the process of appointing the European Commission. A movement that has been built up in stages, to impose a vote of confidence on the President of the and on the entire Commission, real hearings of confirmation tests for each of the commissioners individually, and finally a prior control of conflicts of interest (read article to follow). By ejecting a French commissioner, essentially on this ground, Parliament has taken another step forward.

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

Revised and completed version of the article published in Sud-Ouest on Friday 11 October.

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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