Veteran eurocrat Anthony Whelan is a safe pair of hands to lead the Commission’s competition department into a new era — especially for President Ursula von der Leyen.
Francesca Micheletti
Speaking with POLITICO, Whelan denied that his role was to build a bridge between von der Leyen and the competition department. “I don’t think the president and the EVP are in need of bridges,” he said.
Ribera — who as the top socialist in the Commission is a foil to Christian Democrat von der Leyen — also framed the department’s future mandate through a philosophical lens, calling for enforcement grounded in fairness and protecting the vulnerable.
“In these uncertain times, our responsibility is more important than ever: to enforce rules firmly, to remain free from any distorting pressures, to act with integrity,” Ribera wrote.
Bridge builder or not, competition bubble insiders say Whelan has the bureaucratic and political chops to both manage that relationship and execute on the new competition agenda.
“Highly intelligent, politically savvy, pragmatic, open-minded, and a strong believer in vigorous enforcement,” is the verdict from Nicholas Levy and Basak Arslan at law firm Cleary Gottlieb.
Whelan’s deep legal knowledge, administrative experience and close ties with von der Leyen position him well “to navigate the pressures on the Commission to support the EU’s long-term economic and strategic ambitions while preserving competitive markets,” they wrote in a research note.
