2023-07-13 16:50:00
Few subjects form such a consensus in the political class. Opposition to the appointment of an American, passed by the Obama administration and former GAFAM consultant, to a key post in the European Commission is one. The EU executive has confirmed that Fiona Scott Morton, currently professor of economics at Yale University, will become the new chief economist of the EU’s Directorate General for Competition, effective September 1.
Extremely rare, the French government asked the European Commission on Thursday to ” reconsider your choice by the voice of the Minister in charge of Digital Jean-Noël Barrot. ” At a time when Europe is embarking on the most ambitious digital regulation in the world, the recent appointment of the chief economist of DG Competition is not without raising legitimate questions “, points out the Minister in a tweet, before inviting the Commission.
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Faced with the outcry, a spokeswoman for the European Commission explained that Fiona Scott Morton would act as an adviser on economic issues to the Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager. The institution defends itself from any conflict of interest.
Brussels says it has accepted non-European candidates because of the “ very specific knowledge required »
« The Commission carefully considered whether she had a personal interest such as to compromise her independence “, assured the spokeswoman, declaring that the new chief economist would not be “ not involved in issues she worked on or learned regarding in her previous job “. The European executive justified the opening of the position to non-European candidates by ” the very specific knowledge required ».
The powerful Directorate General for Competition has the task of enforcing the sacrosanct principles of free competition on which the European market is built. As such, the administration is investigating the abuse of dominant position by multinationals, in particular the digital giants which have suffered high fines in recent years.
Rain of indignation in the political class
In the French political class, all parties have mocked this upcoming arrival. Elected officials were indignant at the former functions of Fiona Scott Morton: head of economic analysis at the antitrust division of the US Department of Justice, between May 2011 and December 2012, then consultant for major tech groups such as Apple and Microsoft .
« Hiring an American lobbyist from GAFAM at a time when Europe was finally deciding to limit their power is a shame. This appointment is clumsy at best, dangerous at worst. In any case, the Commission must waive it “, denounced to AFP the conservative MEP Geoffroy Didier (Les Républicains). ” In Brussels, when you take a lobbyist out the door, he comes back through the window “. In the presidential majority, the Macronist deputy for Paris, Benjamin Haddad, sees it as ” an inexplicable decision ». « No European citizen had the required skills? “, he was surprised on Twitter.
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Left and far left, same music. Green MEP Yannick Jadot speaks of ” scandal » and asks Ursula von der Leyen, regularly criticized for her Atlanticism, « to rescind this unethical appointment ». « We have worked tirelessly to regulate the GAFAMs, not to entrust the application of these rules to their lobbyist. no way “, categorically opposed the center-left MEP Raphaël Glucksmann. ” Sinking of the alleged “European sovereignty” and annexation of our continent by the North Americans. It is beautiful their Europe! “, got carried away Jean-Luc Mélenchon, criticizing Ursula von der Leyen.
(with AFP)
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