Bombshell as France's Breton slams door on EU commission

France's powerful European Union commissioner Thierry Breton abruptly resigned with a parting shot at the bloc's chief on Monday, in a dramatic upset the day before Ursula von der Leyen unveils her new top team.

President Emmanuel Macron swiftly tapped Stephane Sejourne, his outgoing foreign minister and a close ally, to succeed Breton as Paris's man at the EU.

One of the most influential figures in Brussels, Breton has been the bloc's internal market commissioner since 2019 and has taken a hard line against abuses by the world's biggest digital platforms -- including sparring publicly with Elon Musk.

Put forward by Macron for a second term, Breton's reappointment to a sizable commission role -- reflecting the country's weight within the 27-nation bloc -- had been taken as a given.

But his abrasive relationship with his German boss von der Leyen -- who he publicly challenged on multiple occasions during her first five-year term -- appears to have proven untenable.

While Breton's announcement he was quitting came as a surprise, he presented it as the result of backroom manoeuvring by von der Leyen to have him pushed out.

"In the very final stretch of negotiations on the composition of the future College, you asked France to withdraw my name," Breton wrote in a scorching letter to von der Leyen, shared on X.

"In light of these latest developments -- further testimony to questionable governance -- I have to conclude that I can no longer exercise my duties in the College," he said, referring to the body of EU commissioners.

Von der Leyen late on Monday said on X that she had "taken note and accepted" Breton's resignation and thanked him for his work.

"Executive Vice-President (Margrethe) Vestager will take over the Internal Market portfolio and all the relevant responsibilities until the end of the mandate," she added.

- No love lost -

A former CEO of France Telecom, the 69-year-old Breton was seen by Paris as a key counterweight to Berlin's influence at the heart of the EU.

He was the architect of the EU's landmark rules demanding web giants better police content online -- something that led him to lock horns with Musk, the billionaire boss of X.

"It's a good day for free speech," X chief executive Linda Yaccarino wrote on the social media site, commenting on Breton's resignation.

Breton's wide-ranging portfolio also included defence and space, overseeing a defence industry push and marshalling the production of Covid jabs.

But his dislike of von der Leyen was no secret.

A centrist, Breton caused a stir earlier by publicly questioning the depth of support for her re-election within her centre-right grouping.

He also questioned her "transparency and impartiality" over the appointment of a political ally to a highly-paid post.

In his resignation letter, he claimed von der Leyen blocked his candidacy "for personal reasons", adding she had offered France an "allegedly more influential portfolio" as a political trade-off.

Paris insiders meanwhile indicated it was important for France to send to Brussels someone who had the EU chief's trust.

"It shows her strength to kill 'powerful' Breton," commented one EU diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, judging that von der Leyen "comes out stronger out of this."

- Macron loyalist -

How the 27-member commission's portfolios are divided up sends a strong signal regarding the bloc's political direction and the relative influence of each member state -- after EU parliament elections in June marked by far-right gains.

In Paris, Macron's office said the president was proposing Sejourne for a portfolio focused on "industrial and technological sovereignty and European competitiveness", highlighting his past experience leading the centrist Renew group in the European Parliament.

A longtime Macron loyalist, Sejourne's dispatch to Brussels comes at a time of political turbulence at home that has weakened the French leader's international clout.

France is awaiting the formation of a new government by conservative Prime Minister Michel Barnier, a compromise pick after June elections produced a hung parliament.

The 39-year-old Sejourne was made foreign minister only in January this year, the youngest person to hold the office under the Fifth Republic.

In a statement on his nomination, Sejourne called it "an honour".

Despite France's late swap, parliament officials confirmed von der Leyen would go ahead with presenting her top team as planned on Tuesday -- a timeline already pushed back once amid a row over gender parity.

The commission chief has been leaning on member countries to put forward more women for the bloc's executive arm, after most -- including France -- ignored her request to offer a choice of male or female candidates.

A question still hangs over Slovenia's -- female -- nominee, who has yet to be approved by the country's parliament after being switched out for the initial male candidate.