Adding to this, in light of the past week's events, it looks pretty clear that the Council has wanted to reassert its preeminence over the Commission, especially vis a vis the Parliament and the Spitzenkandidat system (which has never been written in any treaty, BTW). Macron's ambitions have certainly played a part, especially now that the EPP and PSE do no longer have an absolute majority at the EP and have to rely more on RE and its large French Macronistas contingent.

The other ominous thing is the blocking of Timmermans by the fascists in the Council, Orban and Morawiecki, despite him being Macron's and Merkel's plan A (reportedly helped by the Eminence Grise Martin Seylmar). The Franco-German axis is not that almighty it seems.

Lastly, the kabuki theater at the European Parliament leading to VdL confirmation has shown to be largely due to German domestic politics turmoil and the uncertain future of the GroKo. That the CDU/CSU and the SPD (and even die Grünen) bring their infighting all the way to Strasbourg is not exactly good news: over tha past years, much of EU and EZ policy decisions have been driven by political thinking in Germany, even during a crisis. No EU country is an island, not even the insular states (or the big continental ones).