French president Emmanuel Macron's choice to be a European Commissioner, Sophie Goulard, has been rejected by the bloc's parliament as a power struggle between different factions in Brussels ramps up.

The leaders of European countries nominate representatives to take positions on the European Commission, who need to be approved by the Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, as Goulard had been.

The European Parliament then needs to confirm each choice.

Many Members of the European Parliament, the only directly elected EU institution, were angered by the fact that von der Leyen herself was not one of their recommendations for the top job – she was effectively imposed as a compromise candidate after negotiations between national leaders.

At that time, Macron was explicit in his objections to accepting the parliament's will and the rejection of Goulard is seen by many as revenge.

He described the MEPs' action today as part of a "political game."

However, the justification offered by MEPs is that Goulard had a conflict of interest due to commercial work she had performed advising a US think tank and her implication in a fictional jobs scandal, over which she denies wrongdoing.

Goulard was rejected by 82 EU lawmakers in two committees charged with vetting her, with only 29 backing her, failing to reach the requisite two-thirds support.

Would-be commissioners from Romania and Hungary had already been blocked, with both countries proposing new candidates.