The European Commission “sees no reason to reconsider” the controversial recruitment of the American Fiona Scott Morton, ex-lobbyist and former executive of the Obama administration, to a key post for the regulation of the tech giants. This was announced on Friday July 14 by Commission spokesperson Dana Spinant during the daily press briefing. The French government had asked the European executive on Thursday to reconsider this choice, a request taken up on Friday by the leaders of the four main political groups in the European Parliament who denounce the risks of conflict of interest and interference from Washington.
The European executive, chaired by Ursula von der Leyen, announced on Tuesday that Fiona Scott Morton, professor of economics at Yale University, had been chosen as the new chief economist at the Directorate General for Competition. The nomination provoked outraged reactions. Elected officials from all political backgrounds have relieved her former position as head of economic analysis in the antitrust division of the United States Department of Justice, between May 2011 and December 2012, or as consultant for large Silicon Valley groups such as Amazon, Apple and Microsoft.
” Meticulous examination “
“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 groups (right), the German Manfred Weber, S
“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”, they explain in a letter dated Friday, addressed to the European Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager.
The powerful Directorate-General for Competition is responsible for ensuring the proper functioning of competition in the European Union (EU) and for investigating abuses of dominant position by digital giants, which have resulted in unprecedented fines these last years. Ms. Scott Morton’s appointment comes at a time when the EU needs to implement ambitious new legislation to regulate the sector. She feeds the criticism against Ms. von der Leyen, considered very Atlanticist.