German MEP Markus Pieper announced on Monday that he was giving up a highly paid position at the European Commission. His recruitment was notably contested by the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton.
The choice of a compatriot from the same party as President Ursula von der Leyen fueled accusations of favoritism. The European Parliament called on Thursday for the cancellation of this appointment and the launch of a new procedure by a vote by a large majority. The grade 15 position, one of the highest in the European hierarchy, was to earn him remuneration of 18,430 euros gross per month, according to the official scale. The President has decided to suspend the reopening of the selection procedure for the position until the period following the European elections, says her spokesperson Éric Mamer in a press release on Monday evening. The German MEP said he was the victim of a political campaign led by Thierries Breton, close to the liberal Renew group. Two candidates, Czech MEP Martina Dlabajova and Anna Stellinger from the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, had reached the final stage of the recruitment procedure.