The former prime minister wanted to fire France’s envoy to Brussels, Philippe Léglise-Costa, and replace him with former Europe Minister Clément Beaune.
PARIS — It was a close call for France’s big cheese in Brussels, Philippe Léglise-Costa.
France’s veteran European Union ambassador was nearly fired before Christmas but got a last-minute stay of execution when the man who wanted to oust him, former Prime Minister Michel Barnier, lost his own job, according to four people familiar with the matter.
Barnier had been pushing to replace Léglise-Costa with another Brussels big shot: Clément Beaune, France’s former Europe minister and a former adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron. Beaune has been without a significant role in government since losing his cabinet position in a January 2024 reshuffle and then his seat in parliament during the summer’s snap elections.
Barnier wanted to get rid of Léglise-Costa in an attempt to shake things up in Brussels, but the former prime minister’s government was toppled in December before he could get around to doing so.
“Barnier didn’t want [Léglise-Costa] anymore, there was an issue with France’s influence in Brussels,” said one person familiar with the conversations on sacking France’s permanent representative to the EU who, like others in this story, was granted anonymity to candidly discuss a sensitive issue.
“He [Barnier] said we need a breath of fresh air, Léglise-Costa has been there for too long,” the individual said.
Léglise-Costa, a stalwart of French diplomacy in Brussels, has been in his post since 2017 and has been rumored to be on the way out several times in the past. The former adviser to ex-president François Hollande got off on the wrong foot with Macron by betting against the then-economy minister’s meteoric rise to power. Still, Léglise-Costa’s expertise in EU affairs helped him become an immediate asset to the young president.
But with France’s influence on the wane in Brussels, Barnier thought it was time for a change.
According to a former French official, Barnier, an EU veteran himself having served as both a European commissioner and the bloc’s lead Brexit negotiator, wanted to leave his mark in Brussels after being sidelined in the discussion to nominate Stéphane Séjourné, a top Macron ally, to the job of European industry commissioner.
Barnier, Beaune and Léglise-Costa all declined to comment for this story.
The president’s nod
Beaune had previously worked with Barnier during the grueling Brexit negotiations, so elevating him to Léglise-Costa’s old job would have been seen as a sign of the then-prime minister’s growing influence on European affairs. Beaune has also earned himself a reputation as a skilled political operator and a deft hand at managing the media.
The plan would have needed Macron’s support, as the French president is responsible for appointing ambassadors upon the recommendation of the foreign minister.
The left-leaning Beaune was an early Macron supporter, but the two fell out over a controversial immigration bill that passed with the support of the far right in 2023. However, the French president backed Barnier’s proposal to replace Léglise-Costa with his former Europe minister, according to three of the people POLITICO spoke with that were aware of Barnier’s plans.
“They [Beaune and Macron] have made up since then,” said a member of Macron’s Renaissance party. “The president knows Clément’s qualities … and his passion for politics.”
Doubts remain over how wholeheartedly the French president has overcome his rift with Beaune. According to a French official, Macron wanted him to give up internal French politics if he became an ambassador. Beaune, meanwhile, has said he wants to become the mayor of Paris, and is rumored to have his sights set even higher.
Beaune may yet get the Brussels job, said one of the individuals familiar with Barnier’s machinations — unless his tell-all book, which was released last week, scuppers those chances once and for all.
