Paris (AFP)

After the rejection by MEPs of Sylvie Goulard, her candidate for the European Commission, Emmanuel Macron wants above all to save his plans for reforms in the EU, which he made one of his political arguments in France.

"It's objectively tough because we have been fighting for months to put French influence back on the EU", comments a French source in Brussels, who laments "device games" as Paris aims for a PS alliance , EPP, Greens.

The French president also notes the weakness at European level of the parliamentary group "Renew", which he would like to make a kind of European In March.

Thursday's setback echoes the helplessness of Nathalie Loiseau, her party's party leader in the European elections, who was unable to head Renew because of clumsy statements against her colleagues.

Emmanuel Macron lost a risky bet. He had received many warnings from his family against the risk of a failure of Sylvie Goulard, including his ally François Bayrou, president of the MoDem, forced to leave the government in 2017 in the wake of Ms. Goulard.

Since the announcement of the negative vote of the European Parliament, all the opposition has criticized the head of state for weakening the French position in Brussels by wanting to impose Ms. Goulard, who had resigned from the government for the same jobs fictitious to the MoDem than Mr. Bayrou.

A "scathing disavowal" according to Marine Le Pen, when Manon Aubry (LFI) applauded "a victory of ethics on the money" and Nadine Morano (LR), just like Raphael Glucksmann (Public Place) speak of a " slap "for the head of state.

"How could President Emmanuel Macron have made the choice to weaken France's position in Europe so much and to ignore with so much arrogance the essential ethics that should guide our institutions?" Tapped Yannick Jadot (EELV).

- Wallet -

At a press conference in Lyon on the Global Fund for AIDS, Emmanuel Macron appeared particularly displeased, exposing with irritation the assurances he had received from the President-elect of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, get the green light from parliamentary groups.

"I need to understand what has been played out, of resentment, maybe of pettiness, I like that when commitments are made, they are held," he accused, revealing having submitted three names to Mrs von der Leyen, who would have insisted on the choice of Sylvie Goulard.

"I was told + your name is great, we take + and in the end I'm told + finally, we do not want more + The same! We need to explain!" he exploded.

His other choices at the time were, according to a Brussels source, his defense minister Florence Parly and former presidential candidate Ségolène Royal. The name of Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier also circulated.

And now, what will he do? First, without doubt, "to have a rather frank discussion with the president of the Commission," reports the French source in Brussels.

The French president, for whom Europe is a priority, wants above all, as he said Thursday, save the mandate promised to Ms. Goulard for France, a broad portfolio of the Internal Market, including industrial policy, digital , defense and space.

He is counting on this lever to revive an industrial policy of major European projects, after two years when his recovery attempts have stalled, in a divided Europe.

Germany's reluctance prevented it in particular from setting up a large euro area budget to boost the economy.

The idea of ​​new programs Airbus type was to be on the menu of his meeting with Angela Merkel Sunday evening at the Elysee, and Wednesday, October 16 in Toulouse, where they will visit the headquarters of the European aircraft manufacturer.

© 2019 AFP