EU Lawmaker Accuses Commission President Von der Leyen of 'Abuse of Power' Over Space Deal Endorsement
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, is facing accusations of 'abuse of power' from a leading European Parliament competition lawmaker, Stéphanie Yon-Courtin. The criticism stems from von der Leyen's public endorsement of a €6.5 billion joint venture, known as Project Bromo, between satellite manufacturers Airbus, Leonardo, and Thales. This deal aims to create a 'European champion' in the space economy, potentially competing with U.S. entities like Elon Musk's SpaceX. Von der Leyen stated that these are the types of industrial champions needed for Europe to lead in the future space economy. However, the deal has not yet undergone formal notification or assessment by the EU executive's competition department, led by Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera. Yon-Courtin argued that endorsing a merger publicly without substantive review constitutes an abuse of power and misconduct, questioning the role of the Competition Commissioner if the Commission President unilaterally decides such c...