French ministers urge EU’s Vestager to reconsider US pick for antitrust post

BRUSSELS/PARIS, July 13 (Reuters) – France’s foreign minister and government minister have called EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager to reconsider her appointment of a U.S. economist and former antitrust official to a senior job at the European Commission overseeing Big Tech.
Vestager on Tuesday announced the hiring of Fiona Scott Morton, the former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Justice during former President Barack Obama’s tenure.
Scott Morton will take up her post on Sept. 1 when the current chief economist, Pierre Regibeau, retires. Her appointment drew criticism even before it was announced, with many citing potential conflicts of interest due to her consulting work at Charles River Associates, a consultancy which advises a number of tech giants.
French foreign minister Catherine Colonna said she was astonished at the appointment.