The usual appointment of Fiona Scott-Morton quickly turned into a diplomatic furor. Photo: Tony Rinaldo
Friday was supposed to be Fiona Scott-Morton's first day in Brussels. Her appointment as chief competition economist at the European Commission was announced last month with little fanfare on page six of the daily newsletter.
The 227-word article said she would start on September 1, and detailed the appointments of the Yale professor. career achievements, including a job in the Obama administration.
However, what should have been an ordinary appointment quickly turned into a diplomatic sensation.
French Minister for Europe Catherine Colonna said that was «surprised» by the hiring decision, and President Emmanuel Macron called it «doubtful».< /p>
Their problem? Not politics or politics Scott-Morton, but her passport: she is American.
«Isn't there a European researcher who could do the job?» Macron demanded.
President Emmanuel Macron called Scott-Morton's hiring decision «questionable.» Photo: Bertrand Guey/AFP
Those who opposed Scott-Morton's appointment effectively argued that citizenship is more important than authority when it comes to working in a Brussels car.
Faced with a wall of pressure, Scott-Morton turned down the job.
Faced with a wall of pressure, Scott-Morton turned down the job.
A few weeks later, the 56-year-old scientist is still trying to digest what happened.
“These should be stable, pre-planned, known positions that you perform over several years. I didn't expect to be hired and fired right away. This is not how my world works.”
Scott-Morton says she had no choice but to turn down the job, which included supporting EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager in economic analysis.
“The chief competition economist must be legitimate and enjoy the support of the community that makes up the EU,” Scott-Morton told the Telegraph in her first interview since stepping down.
“If France and the President of France are so concerned that an American will take this post, then I think it will be difficult to do this job well, because it will be related to political and bureaucratic disputes, and not to substance.”
< p>“ I did not want to be in a position where some significant part of the power in Europe wanted me to leave. It's an unpleasant job.»
The experience, one of the most tumultuous periods of her professional life, left a bitter taste in her mouth.
“It is disturbing and sad that French society is insecure to the point of rejecting the idea that there can be a principled American who wants to work for Europe,” she says. «Why does a great job in a great city have to trigger a big search for an ulterior motive?»
says Scott-Morton she had no other choice but to step down from the position of the EU's chief competition economist. Photo: Yale University
Speaking on holiday in Edinburgh, Scott-Morton says: «I'm disappointed because I was looking forward to it.
“I made some efforts to change my life, the life of my family, my housing, my teaching. , university, my students, my research projects. They have all been reorganized so that I can adjust to working for the government.
“We plan our classes a year in advance,” says Scott-Morton, who has been on the Yale faculty since 1999. «I must inform my university if I go to Brussels so they can find someone else to teach me.» classes in September.”
Scott-Morton was well-qualified for the job, having worked in the U.S. Department of Justice during the Obama administration, where she was Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Economic Analysis.
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During her tenure, the agency blocked deals, including the merger between telcos AT&T and T-Mobile, and launched an investigation into Apple e-books for price fixing.
More than three dozen economists, including Nobel laureate Jean Tyrol and former International Monetary Fund chief economist Olivier Blanchard, rushed to Scott-Morton's defense when the French objected to her appointment.
«Scott-Morton is one of the world's best economists in the field of industrial organizations, who have made a significant contribution to the development of policy in the field of technology regulation and have a strong interest in public service,” they wrote in an open letter.
This incident has now left a gaping analysis hole in the EU for a crucial six months for competition law. The bloc's flagship law on digital markets will come into full force next spring and give Brussels more control over big tech companies.
Under the new rules, seven companies have been designated as so-called «gatekeepers», including parent companies. Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft. All of them have a market capitalization of over €75bn (£64bn) and at least 45m monthly users.
Critics point out that Scott-Morton has advised three of the seven giants. She points out that much of this work is now a thing of the past and consulting is commonplace in the sector.
The former EU chief competition economist and the current acting head both worked in the same global consulting company. a firm like Scott-Morton.
The French have their own form of hostility towards the United States.
When rumors spread in 2005 that Pepsi wanted to buy dairy giant Danone, then French financiers Minister Thierry Breton declared that «France is not Wild West», and politicians rushed to defend the company.
The country's press called the American soft drink maker an «American cannibal», although no official application was made. The French have been ridiculed for their «strategic yogurt» policy, which has quickly become synonymous with French protectionism.
Thierry Breton, a Macron ally, is now head of the EU's internal markets and is reportedly up for the EU's top job. Brussels.
He is part of a faction that is alarmed by Danish competition chief Vestager's willingness to block a merger between the rail divisions of Siemens and Alstom, two major European companies. Supporters of the agreement want to create national champions and are in favor of more state aid and subsidies.
Scott-Morton refrains from commenting on politics or individual players in Brussels, saying only: «The agenda if I had this job , then the work on creating competition would be more advanced.”
One of the deals approved by Brussels is Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard. The Commission accepted the latter's concessions on cloud gaming despite the British authorities blocking the deal on the same grounds.
Microsoft's 1,605 takeovers of the top 10
This decision put the UK in the difficult position of being the only major country to is still afloat. as part of the deal after the US courts rejected attempts by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to block it.
Microsoft is now trying to make a new offer again, which is putting pressure on the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to it gave him the green light.
When asked about the merger, Scott-Morton immediately replies that she recently advised Microsoft on the deal.
But she adds: “CMA is very vulnerable. The transaction took place in many jurisdictions around the world. So now the CMA is trying to block the global merge alone, which is inconvenient.
“My experience is that in situations like this, everyone is very concerned about saving face. No one wants to admit they're wrong, and so there must be a way out that preserves the litigation and everyone's self-respect.»
Looking ahead, Scott-Morton fears that tech companies are moving forward too. it's fast for traditional authorities to keep up.
«I think we need a dedicated regulator,» she says. “We have them for agriculture, telecommunications and most of the things we invent.”
Great idea, but it might not see the light of day in Brussels after Scott-Morton was ousted.
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