- Title: Macron cries foul as EU lawmakers snub his pick for top industry job
- Date: 10th October 2019
- Summary: LYON, FRANCE (OCTOBER 10, 2019) (AGENCY POOL) FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON IN NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON SAYING: "France holds a portfolio, and I don't understand how when the president of the commission nominates, and that there's a discussion with three leaders of parliamentary groups who agree something it can change like this. So, I need to understand. So first, I'm going to ask. There you go. But I don't know, because now, I don't understand. I'm very relaxed. What matters to me is the portfolio. But I need to understand what was at play. Resentment. Pettiness maybe. But I need to understand."
- Embargoed: 24th October 2019 17:34
- Keywords: Macron Goulard EU European Commission European parliament
- Location: LYON AND PARIS, FRANCE/ BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: LYON AND PARIS, FRANCE/ BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: France
- Topics: European Union,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA002B0INLTZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: PLEASE NOTE: EDIT 4213-EU-COMMISSION/GOULARD HAS EXCERPTS FROM GOULARD'S HEARING AT THE EU COMMISSION
French President Emmanuel Macron insisted Sylvie Goulard was the victim of a "political game" on Thursday (October 10) after France's choice to be the head of EU industrial policy was emphatically rejected by European lawmakers.
Goulard was pressed by lawmakers over her role in a jobs scandal, in which she denies wrongdoing, and also her work in previous years as an adviser for a U.S. think-tank which paid her more than 10,000 euros a month.
Her rejection, led by the biggest group in the European Parliament, comes against the backdrop of a power struggle between lawmakers and Macron about who should take leadership roles in the next European Commission.
"Sylvie Goulard has been the object of a political game which affects the whole of the European Commission," said a statement issued by his office.
Macron said later in a news conference: "I need to understand what was at play. Resentment. Pettiness maybe. But I need to understand."
Macron proposed Goulard for the post of EU internal market commissioner, responsible for European defence integration, a role which would have seen her manage a new multi-billion euro defence fund.
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