| The European Commission’s powerful competition authority — responsible for slapping Google and Apple with billion-euro fines, probing Big Oil, and reining in corporate power across the EU — is facing a leadership vacuum. Oliver Guersent, the French civil servant who has led DG Competition since 2020, will step down on 31 July, setting off a scramble for one of the EU’s most politically sensitive posts.
Names like Anthony Whelan – acting economics advisor in von der Leyen’s cabinet – and DG Energy chief Ditte Juul Jørgensen are being floated in Brussels corridors, as first reported by the FT. Whelan is seen as almost too qualified for the job. “The president won’t let him go that easily,” one senior EU official told Euractiv. Jørgensen, a former chief of staff to Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, brings the advantage of coming from a smaller member state – a factor that would ease tensions around nationality balance and reduce friction with major capitals.
A Frenchman, Guersent’s exit also raises questions about the mix of nationalities at the top of the Commission. That also weakens the case for another French contender, Céline Gauer, who runs the Commission’s Reform and Investment Task Force. She is widely seen as highly competent, having negotiated the recovery plans with EU capitals.
Still, there are signs that the Commission will go for a simpler option: a DG-level reshuffle rather than promoting someone still finding their feet. In that regard, Linsey McCallum is seen as a strong contender. With a proven track record as deputy director-general for antitrust, she’s already navigating the most politically charged files in the building. “She’s extremely respected, has the courage to act when needed, and knows how to be political while remaining deeply respectful,” an antitrust economist noted. | 