EU CIVIL WAR: Macron furious as Ursula von der Leyen appoints nearly FULL German team

The appointment of Kerstin Jorna, a German national, as chief of incoming French commissioner Thierry Breton’s cabinet will likely infuriate Emmanuel Macron in yet another embarrassing blow to the French president. Mr Macron was dealt a humiliating loss last month when the European Parliament rejected his candidate for European Commissioner, in a rare political defeat on the European stage for the French leader.

Sylvie Goulard, who was in line for the high-profile job leading the EU’s internal market policy, was voted down by MEPs who questioned her over allegations she misused EU funds while serving as Mr Macron’s defence minister.

Her interviewers also quizzed the centrist politician over her work for Los Angeles-based think tank the Berggruen Institute which paid her more than £10,000 a month between 2013 and 2015 when she was an MEP.

Ms Goulard was rejected by Brussels following a vote, in a move that France branded an “abuse of power”.

Mr Macron said in response that Ms Goulard had been the victim of a “political game”.

The European Parliament will vote today on the new “Team Ursula” commission after incoming President Ursula von der Leyen was forced to delay taking office.

Ms Jorna’s appointment follows the announcement that Björn Seibert will head President-elect Ursula von der Leyen, Günther Oettinger’s Michael Hager for Valdis Dombrovskis’ team, Renate Nikolay will stay with Vĕra Jourová, and Walter Goetz will serve as chief of cabinet for Adina-Ioana Vălean, according to officials.

It brings the total of German heads of EU Commission cabinets to five, compared with no French nationals whatsoever.

In addition, two EU officials each from Hungary and Malta will serve as heads of private offices to new commissioners.

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The EU heavyweights have proposed a “Conference on the Future of Europe” to “address all issues at stake” as the bloc seeks to rebuild after Brexit.

Initial talks will focus on “EU democratic functioning” and its process for selecting future leaders after an institutional row over Ursula von der Leyen’s appointment as European Commission president.

The German was eventually appointed after a backroom stitch-up by EU leaders, much to the frustrations of the democratically elected members of the European Parliament.

The final confirmatory vote in the EU parliament is set to take place later today. 

source: express.co.uk