French President Emmanuel Macron has raised concerns over the appointment of an American economist as the European Commission's chief competition economist. Macron criticized the selection of Fiona Scott Morton, a Yale professor who previously worked as an adviser to Silicon Valley giants like Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon. He argued that her past roles with Big Tech would require her to recuse herself from important competition investigations.
Speaking at a meeting of EU leaders, Macron expressed his openness to hiring non-European experts if Europeans were given similar positions of influence in other countries, such as the White House or China. He also voiced his worry about the potential lack of suitable European economists for the role, emphasizing the importance of having qualified individuals shaping policy decisions.
The criticism of Scott Morton's appointment has not been limited to Macron. Several ministers in the French government, as well as lawmakers in the European Parliament, have also expressed their reservations. Margrethe Vestager, the EU's competition commissioner, is anticipated to face questions from the assembly's economy committee regarding this appointment.
Notably, a group of European economists recently came forward in support of Scott Morton's selection, praising the commission for attracting "one of the best economists in the world." Scott Morton is scheduled to assume her new role on September 1st. The debate surrounding her appointment highlights the ongoing tension between the European Union and Big Tech companies, as well as the growing scrutiny over the influence of non-European experts in key positions within the EU.