Macron and Merkel talk … Martin Selmayr

French and German leaders give their, rather different, thoughts on Selmayrgate.

He’s the Eurocrat Brussels can’t stop talking about.

After a summit at which they discussed a potential trade war with the United States, Brexit and whether to blame Russia for poisoning a former spy in the U.K. — and on the day in which a gunman killed three people in southwestern France — Europe’s two most powerful leaders, Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel, were asked about the Martin Selmayr controversy: Selmayrgate, if you will.

The surprise elevation last month of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s chief of staff to become the Commission’s top-ranking civil servant led to accusations that the Commission acted like an “old boys’ club.”

Juncker, who told EPP colleagues Thursday that “if [Selmayr] goes, I go,” has faced sustained questions ever since about how his key ally — widely admired and feared in Brussels for his ruthless reputation — managed to secure a position that will see him stay at the apex of EU power after Juncker’s own mandate expires in 2019.

The affair caused such outrage that after sending more than a hundred questions to the Commission, the European Parliament’s Budgetary Control Committee will hold a public hearing on the issue next week with Günther Oettinger, the human resources commissioner. MEPs are also set to vote on a resolution on the nomination of Selmayr on April 19 (although no matter the result, they can’t do anything about his appointment).

The leaders of France and Germany took different approaches to Friday’s quizzing from journalists.

Macron made a plea for transparency and praised the free press, admitting he “fully understood” the reactions to Selmayr’s super-fast promotion. He also encouraged journalists and the European Parliament to continue examining the issue.

Merkel was more cautious, describing Selmayr, a fellow German, as someone who “makes decisions in a very European way.”

Her reaction seemed in part a response to a plea from Selmayr’s boss, Jean-Claude Juncker, for more support from the European People’s Party, of which Merkel, Juncker and Selmayr are members.

In Friday’s press conference, Macron (who had clearly been brought up to speed on the affair) acknowledged Selmayr’s “great competence,” but said he supported efforts by journalists and the Parliament to investigate.

“I understand perfectly the reactions that some can have,” Macron told reporters. “If it had been covered up or if we acted as if nothing happened, it would be a problem.”

“There is a democratic, journalistic controversy … we must feed it. There is a parliamentary debate, it must be treated peacefully,” he said.

Asked if Selmayr’s promotion meant there were too many Germans in senior positions in the EU institutions, Macron said the EU must be “constantly” vigilant about geographical balances.

Merkel was more protective of Selmayr, saying she rated his work “highly” and that his nationality should not be an issue.

“To anyone who thinks because he’s a German citizen that he does what suits Germany, that’s not the impression that we have,” Merkel told reporters. “He makes decisions in a very European way. He’s also someone who pays attention to efficiency when it comes to decisions — who makes sure decisions are actually implemented. And I very much welcome that because some processes in Europe take a very long time.”

On the question of geographic balance, Merkel said there was discussion in Germany about whether the country was adequately represented at certain levels of the EU.

“You can’t just look at the positions you’ve mentioned [senior ones], you have to look at the whole range,” she said. “Then you see it’s more relative.”

Andrew Gray contributed reporting.

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