Jean Claude-Juncker, the president of the European Commission, has threatened to resign if his most senior adviser is forced out of a new job at the helm of the EU civil service.
Martin Selmayr, a 47-year-old German lawyer renowned for his shrewd tactics and virulent anti-Brexit stance, was suddenly promoted to the position of secretary general at the Commission in February.
The appointment sparked a furore in Brussels, with MEPs complaining that the appointment was orchestrated in secret, which made the EU look like an "old boys' club."
Mr Selmayr was reportedly handed the job by Mr Juncker in a matter of minutes, following the sudden retirement of his predecessor, Alexander Italianer.
But...