The spat illustrates the tendency for personal rivalry and sordid jockeying for position among officials with no popular mandate to shape EU politics. Working together in the Commission does little to turn politicians from rival ideological groups into allies; Breton openly questioned von der Leyen’s right to a second term during her re-election campaign, saying her European People’s Party did not “seem to believe in its own candidate”.

This petty personal rivalry, however, masks more serious concerns about von der Leyen’s leadership style as she embarks on a second term in office. The German has already delayed presenting her proposed new Commissioners amid a gender-equality drive, which has seen member states pressured into swapping out male candidates for female ones. Breton’s claim that, in exchange for his removal, von der Leyen “offered, as a political trade-off, an allegedly more influential portfolio for France” follows reports of similarly shady meddling in other nominations.

Within von der Leyen’s commitment to achieving a “Union of Equality”, offering countries more attractive Commissioner portfolios in exchange for the nomination of female candidates has reportedly become standard practice. This approach has come back to bite von der Leyen. Demanding the replacement of Slovenia’s original male nominee plunged the country into turmoil and delayed the announcement of her new Commissioners, with the country’s opposition blocking the appointment process and accusing the government of acquiescing to the “slapping around of Slovenia”.

The apparent strong-arming of member states to conform with von der Leyen’s own ideological aims tallies uncomfortably with Breton’s accusations of a lack of transparency over his proposed reappointment. The saga of the EU’s new Commissioners gives the worrying impression that the bloc’s most powerful roles are being allocated based not on merit, but on the personal whims and dislikes of its President.