Did Fiona Scott Morton attend Margrethe Vestager’s attempt to justify herself to MEPs on July 18? The Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of competition has, it seems, missed her appointment in Parliament.
She was to justify the arrival of the American to the post of Chief Economist of the Directorate General for Competition. Margrethe Vestager was unable to extinguish the controversy. And the next day, this last announcement on Twitter that the selected candidate gives up.
A withdrawal accepted “with regret”
“Professor Fiona Scott Morton has informed me of her decision not to accept the position of Chief Competition Economist. I accept her with regret and hope that she continues to use her extraordinary skills to promote a rigorous enforcement of competition law”, writing the representative of the European executive.
Due to the “political controversy”, Fiona Scott Morton will not take this strategic position at the start of the school year in September, as the College of European Commissioners decided on July 11. Her consulting assignments with giants like Microsoft, Apple, Amazon and Pfizer caused a stir.
For the Medef, its transition from the “US Department of Justice to the antitrust division” was just as problematic. Employers denounce their recourse to the principle of extraterritoriality of American law to sanction European companies.
Very hostile to this appointment, he criticized the Brussels administration for naivety, indifference, and even “contempt for European public opinion.” However, the Medef was not only pleading for the cancellation of this recruitment.
Internal rules at the Commission and Parliament to be revised
According to the organisation, certain internal rules at the Commission and the European Parliament need to be reviewed. It would thus be, in particular, to “reserve strategic positions for nationals of the 27 member countries of the EU.”
Thus, this desired development would prevent the choice of a non-European candidate for competition, but also the recruitment of a British HRD to Parliament, who again does not pass for employers.
In France, several political leaders had taken a position on the arrival of Fiona Scott Morton. This raised “legitimate questions”, reacted the French Minister Delegate in charge of the Digital Transition, Jean-Noël Barrot.
The President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, publicly said he was “doubtful” on July 18. He pleaded for strategic autonomy and autonomy of thought for Europe. The French arguments had so far not convinced. The other European leaders were silent or more discreet.
According to Le Monde, several European commissioners, including Frenchman Thierry Breton, Italian Paolo Gentiloni, Spaniard Josep Borrell, Luxembourger Nicolas Schmit and Portuguese Elisa Ferreira, have written to Ursula von der Leyen, asking her for a review.
The resignation of Fiona Scott Morton spares the Commission an exercise in public self-criticism, and perhaps also to question itself more fundamentally about its rules of operation and examination of candidacies.