| Michel Barnier never forgave Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for attending Emmanuel Macronâs âRenaissance European Campusâ in Bordeaux last year, arguing she had given the French leader undue political credit and support.
But he might be doing exactly the same thing now he has accepted the prime minister job. Is Barnier serving Macronâs interests?
I once met Barnier in Paris on a grey February morning in his Les RĂ©publicains (LR) office, a stoneâs throw away from the National Assembly.
Euractiv had secured an interview with the man who, on Thursday, became the long-awaited prime minister, overseeing one of the most fragmented political scenes France has known in modern history.
The conversation touched on everything from EU elections to Brexit negotiations to party politics and, in the hourâs worth of exchange, the man often dubbed as serious and old-school relaxed in his chair and loosened up.
Until we got to European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.
âVon der Leyen announced she would run for a second term. Does she have your support?â I asked.
A pause. | 