Stéphane Séjourné, from foreign minister to EU commissioner – Technologist

“It just fell into my lap:” Stéphane Séjourné took advantage of a very brief appearance before the French community in Athens on Monday, September 16, to react to his surprise appointment as European commissioner-designate for France. The news had been announced a few hours earlier as the foreign minister and his entourage were flying to the Greek capital, on the sidelines of an express three-day tour of Armenia, Greece and Moldova.

Séjourné was warned by Emmanuel Macron on Sunday evening that a change was possible, given the showdown between Ursula von der Leyen and former Commissioner Thierry Breton over the contours of the post. But it was not until Monday that the French president confirmed his choice, after a phone call with the Commission president. The change of French candidate means that the former MEP can now look forward to a return to Brussels, although he confessed on the plane from Athens to Chisinau that he was “a little frustrated” at not being able to extend his tenure as head of French diplomacy in the Barnier government, as he had hoped to do with Macron’s support.

His final trip as a caretaker minister, approved by the president and the prime minister, was intended to enable Séjourné, who was hardly seen this summer, to finally travel to three countries where his visit had been delayed, even though they are at the heart of continental tensions with Russia, Azerbaijan and Turkey. At each stop, Séjourné tried to reassure his interlocutors, sometimes worried about the political turbulence in France and the prolonged absence of a government.

Negotiating skills

Séjourné’s time at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was a record-breaking eight months. One of Macron’s most loyal supporters, Séjourné replaced Catherine Colonna in the January reshuffle, becoming one of the shortest-serving holders of the portfolio.

As soon as he was appointed, Séjourné went to Ukraine, then twice to Israel and the Arab countries. It’s not easy to have an impact on these major issues in such a short period of time, even if his presence enabled Macron to have a close, highly political friend at the head of the Ministry. Although he has a moderate command of English, Séjourné, one of the few to be on a first-name basis with the president and renowned for his negotiating skills, is much more at ease in Spanish, having spent part of his youth between Mexico, Spain and Argentina.

Faced with Russia, Séjourné relayed his mentor’s firm stance as the war in Ukraine dragged on. In the absence of a government, the dissolution and ensuing political crisis have blurred France’s position and international credibility. The idea of sending military instructors into the field, if possible in a coalition with other European states, seems to have fizzled out.

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