The Liberal Democrat European Group reports:
Sylvie Goulard, a former MEP and close ally of President Macron, was dramatically and overwhelmingly rejected by MEPs as the Commissioner-Designate for the Internal Market. Central to this decision were the allegations that she used a European Parliamentary Assistant for political work at the national level and criticisms about her topping up her MEP wages with a salary from a US-based think tank. After President Macron expressed his shock and disappointment at the vote, France is now expected to put forward a new candidate.
This decision has such significant consequences because it casts serious doubt as to whether incoming Commission President Ursula von der Leyen can take office on 1 November (the original plan), as the incoming Commissioners cannot take office unless they have all been approved by the Parliament. Moreover, the Renew Group (to which our Liberal Democrat MEPs belong to) was the only Parliamentary Group to support Goulard and this split between Renew and the other groups could spell trouble for this legislative term.
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