Executive Summary
The Story So Far
Why This Matters
Who Thinks What?
The race to lead the European Commission’s influential Directorate-General for Competition (DG Comp) has reportedly narrowed to a select group of internal and external candidates, as President Ursula von der Leyen prepares to make a final decision. This pivotal role, currently held on an interim basis by Linsey McCallum, is responsible for assessing corporate mergers, enforcing state aid rules, and regulating major tech companies, with the timing of a definitive appointment remaining uncertain.
Leading Contenders for DG Comp
Officials and lawyers monitoring the process indicate that the viable contenders include two current deputy department heads within DG Comp: Guillaume Loriot and Anthony Whelan. Additionally, the head of the Commission’s energy department, Ditte Juul Jørgensen, and Céline Gauer, director general of the Commission’s Reform and Investment Task Force, are also in consideration.
Linsey McCallum, who has served as interim leader since Olivier Guersent retired in August, has reportedly ruled herself out for the top position. Sources familiar with the process suggest that important factors in the selection will include personality, nationality, and the candidate’s rapport with Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera.
The Political Significance of the Role
The position of Director General of DG Comp is considered highly important due to the Commission’s exclusive legislative power in competition policy. This department has the authority to impose substantial fines on large corporations, including American tech giants, ensuring compliance with European rules.
The succession race unfolds at a sensitive juncture, as the EU’s digital regulations have drawn significant criticism from President Donald Trump’s administration, which has actively challenged the EU’s enforcement actions against U.S. companies. This dynamic has imbued the highest-ranking civil service post in DG Comp with substantial political weight.
Mario Mariniello, an analyst at the Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, noted that the Commission has become increasingly political over time. He cautioned that this trend could pose a risk to the objectivity of enforcement actions, emphasizing the need for impartiality in such a critical department.
Challenges and Responsibilities
The next DG Comp chief will likely navigate complex geopolitical pressures, balancing competition policy enforcement with broader trade negotiations, particularly concerning President Trump’s administration. This interplay of dimensions could influence the application of competition policy, potentially leading to a less dogmatic approach than seen historically.
Regulating big tech is expected to remain a primary challenge. MEP Alexandra Geese of the Greens stressed that the incoming director must be “fearless” and “ready to curb the rent-seeking of big tech and safeguard a level playing field for European innovators.”
Candidate Profiles and Considerations
While no clear frontrunner has emerged, internal candidates Loriot and Whelan are viewed differently. Some suggest that elevating Loriot, a French national, might be “too early” and potentially problematic given his predecessor Guersent was also French. Whelan, an Irish civil servant who has advised President von der Leyen on digital and economic policy since 2019, is considered a strong contender due to his direct work with the President.
Among external candidates, Danish civil servant Ditte Juul Jørgensen, former chief of staff to ex-competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager, is seen as having an advantage due to her nationality from a smaller EU country, which could help mitigate accusations of conflicts of interest. Céline Gauer, a French civil servant with prior experience at DG Comp, has also been consistently mentioned as a strong candidate.
Ultimately, the significance of this “key appointment” may outweigh considerations such as nationality, as argued by former Czech MEP Dita Charanzová. She emphasized that the chosen candidate “must be politically aligned with President von der Leyen’s agenda,” reflecting the strategic importance of the role within the Commission.
