President Emmanuel Macron is in talks with the European Commission to carve out a new, more powerful position for France that would see his nominee overseeing all of the bloc’s efforts to boost its competitiveness.

Although Macron's people say he has carved a more influential role for his replacement, Stéphane Séjourné, a close Macron loyalist, it is becoming clear von der Leyen is the biggest winner of that swap,

Questions have been raised about the influence France will have over the new European Commission following the appointment of its new commissioner and the divide between conservatives and centrists.