French European Commissioner Thierry Breton said on Monday he would resign as a member of the EU executive over a falling out with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, saying she had asked Paris to withdraw his candidacy.
Von der Leyen is finalizing the list of commissioners for her second term at the European Commission, which will be announced to the public this week.
Breton is a former business executive who served as EU commissioner for industry and the internal market during her first term, overseeing many of the bloc's most important policies, from industrial weapons production to the regulation of big tech.
In Breton's resignation letter released on the 1st, he said that "a few days ago" von der Leyen had asked France to withdraw his nomination as a candidate for the committee "for personal reasons" in exchange for a "supposedly more influential position."
Von der Leyen’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Breton said in the letter: "In view of these latest developments that further demonstrate the problems with the management of the institution, I have to conclude that I can no longer carry out my responsibilities within the institution."
Each EU member state has a seat on the Commission, but its political weight and importance vary greatly depending on the mix of functions.
The French presidential palace did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.