- Title: French Finance Minister: not candidate to be Macron's new choice for EU post
- Date: 14th October 2019
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (FILE - JUNE 1, 2017) (REUTERS) EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT ELECT, THEN GERMAN DEFENCE MINISTER, URSULA VON DER LEYEN AND HER THEN COUNTERPART GOULARD ARRIVING AND SHAKING HANDS
- Embargoed: 28th October 2019 08:08
- Keywords: France EU Commission Bruno Le Maire Sylvie Goulard candidate Brussels European Union
- Location: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM / PARIS, FRANCE / BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM / PARIS, FRANCE / BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: France
- Topics: European Union,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA005B12KEH3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Monday (October 14) that he was not a candidate to replace Sylvie Goulard as French President Emmanuel Macron's choice for European Commissioner.
"I am not a candidate for the European Commission," he told France Info radio. "I prefer to stay as the Finance Minister."
Last week, EU lawmakers rejected Goulard, who was Macron's choice to head up industrial policy in the next European Commission.
Goulard's candidacy had been hit by her implication in a jobs scandal, in which she denies any wrongdoing, and her past work as an adviser for a U.S. think-tank which paid her more than 10,000 euros ($11,020) a month. Goulard's rejection was criticised by Macron.
The spat over Goulard's rejection could potentially delay the start of the new Commission, which is due to take office on Nov. 1, and curb the influence of France, the European Union's second biggest economy and a founding member of the club.
(Production: Ardee Napolitano) - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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