Criticism in Paris for appointing an American woman to a position in the EU

The appointment of an American in a key position within the European Commission, who has ties to the activities of American technology giants and previously served in the Obama administration, has sparked anger in France, with demands to reconsider this decision.

On Tuesday, the European Commission announced the selection of Fiona Scott Morton, an economics professor at Yale University, to serve as the new Chief Economist in the Directorate-General for Competition. This role is responsible for ensuring competition within the European Union and investigating the abuse of dominance by technology giants, which has led to unprecedented fines in recent years.

French officials from various political backgrounds have criticized her previous roles as the Chief Economist at the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice between May 2011 and December 2012, as well as her work as an advisor to major technology groups such as Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft.

The French Minister Delegate for Digital Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, called on the European Commission to "review its choice." He wrote on Twitter that this appointment "raises legitimate questions."

The appointment of Scott Morton comes at a time when the European Union is set to implement new laws to regulate this sector. Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has faced criticism for her strong support for relations with the United States.

Scott Morton is expected to assume her duties on September 1st, but her employment contract has not yet been signed, according to a source within the European Commission cited by Agence France-Presse.




AFP