2023-07-15 09:51:06
An American at the head of European regulation of tech giants. This announcement elicited many reactions. The European Commission on Friday addressed a plea of inadmissibility to the French government which is demanding the cancellation of the controversial recruitment of the American Fiona Scott Morton, new chief economist at the Directorate General for Competition.
The request of the French government had however been taken up by the leaders of the four main political groups in the European Parliament. They denounce both a risk of conflict of interest and that of interference from Washington with the arrival in a key position of this former consultant and former executive of the Obama administration.
“The decision has been made. We see no reason to reconsider it,” Commission spokeswoman Dana Spinant told a daily press briefing.
Left and right elected officials united against Fiona Scott Morton
Elected officials from all political backgrounds have singled out her former duties as head of economic analysis at the antitrust division of the US Department of Justice, between May 2011 and December 2012, or as a consultant for major tech groups such as Amazon, Apple and Microsoft.
“Digital regulation is a key issue for France and for Europe. This appointment deserves to be reconsidered by the Commission”, reacted Thursday evening the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna.
In the European Parliament, the leaders of the EPP (right-wing), S&D (social democrats), Renew (centrist and liberal) and Greens groups have also written to the Commission asking it to “cancel this decision”.
Friday evening, the French employers’ organization, the Medef, associated its voice with this cross-party initiative, denouncing the “naivety and indifference or even contempt for European public opinion” of the Brussels administration.
Foreign interference in the heart of the EU
“At a time when our institutions are under intense scrutiny from foreign interference, we do not understand why non-European candidates should be considered for such a strategic and high-level position”, declared the President. German Manfred Weber, Spaniard Iratxe Garcia Perez, Frenchman Stéphane Séjourné and Belgian Philippe Lamberts, in a letter dated Friday addressed to the European Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager. The mail has been received by Margrethe Vestager, who will respond to it, said Dana Spinant.
The powerful Directorate-General for Competition is responsible for ensuring the proper functioning of competition in the European Union (EU) and in particular for investigating abuses of dominant position by digital giants, which have resulted in record fines these last years.
“An advisory position” and not executive, according to the spokesperson
The appointment of Fiona Scott Morton comes at a time when the EU must implement ambitious new legislation to regulate this sector. It feeds criticism against Margrethe Vestager and Ursula von der Leyen, considered very Atlanticist.
The Commission also relativizes the responsibilities that will be assumed by Fiona Scott Morton. “It is not a position where one is empowered to make decisions, it is an advisory position” with Margrethe Vestager, assured Dana Spinant.
Brussels had already ruled out any risk of conflict of interest on Thursday. Fiona Scott Morton “will not be involved in matters on which she worked or of which she became aware in her previous employment”, we insisted on the Commission.
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