The European Commission has appointed Olivier Guersent as deputy director-general in the department for internal market and services, to replace Nadia Calviño. That represents a change in direction for Guersent, who earlier this month was appointed deputy director-general for mergers in the competition department. At the same time, Calviño was named as the next director-general for budget.

Guersent, a Frenchman who has been with the Commission since 1992 and now heads the cabinet of Michel Barnier, the European commissioner for the internal market and services, was supposed to replace Bernd Langeheine as deputy director-general for competition, with specific responsibility for mergers. However, Langeheine is to remain in his post until he retires on 1 June, whereas Calviño is to take up her new role on 1 May, when Hervé Jouanjean retires.

The Commission said that it was more important to fill the vacancy left by Calviño and it would re-open the search for a replacement for Langeheine.

Guersent has been heavily involved in the work of the internal market department, steering more than 30 pieces of financial legislation through the EU’s legislative process.

He will be responsible for the Commission’s work on financial issues, as well as corporate governance and the audit and accounting sectors.

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Guersent joined the Commission in 1992 after eight years in the French civil service. His last Commission assignment before moving to Barnier’s cabinet was as director of cartels in the competition department (2009). He was deputy head of the private office of Neelie Kroes in 2004-06 and adviser to commissioners Barnier (1999-2001) and Karel Van Miert (1996-99).