Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Secretary-General Martin Selmayr | European Commission Juncker: If Martin Selmayr goes, I go ‘Furious’ European Commission president tells party colleagues he would quit if Selmayr is ousted from secretary-general post.

Jean-Claude Juncker told senior colleagues in his party he would quit if his former chief of Cabinet Martin Selmayr is forced out of his new job as the European Commission's most senior civil servant.

According to three EU officials who were briefed on the meeting, Juncker told European Parliament President Antonio Tajani and Joseph Daul, the president of the European People’s Party (EPP), that he was disappointed with the lack of support Selmayr had received from the EPP group over his controversial promotion.

The meeting happened on Thursday, on the fringes of the EPP's gathering ahead of the European Council summit in Brussels. Juncker, Selmayr and Tajani are all members of the EPP, the largest group in the European Parliament.

Selmayr's surprise elevation to the role of secretary-general last month, in questionable circumstances, caused consternation in Brussels and led to accusations that the move showed the Commission acting like an "old boys' club."

One senior EU official said that during the Thursday meeting Juncker told his colleagues that "if [Selmayr] goes, I go." A second EU official briefed on the meeting confirmed Juncker had threatened to quit if Selmayr is forced out.

“There wasn’t a good atmosphere around Juncker on this,” the official said, adding that the Commission president was "furious."

Another official said Daul complained during the meeting to Juncker that the Commission president had not informed his group in advance that Selmayr would be promoted.

A Commission spokesperson said the Commission “never comments on the content of internal meetings.”

In a European Parliament plenary debate last week, a great majority of MEPs present, including among the EPP group, condemned Selmayr’s promotion.

“The Commission will have to choose what is more important,” said Dutch Liberal MEP Sophie In ‘t Veld in her speech, “the career of Mr. Selmayr or the credibility of the EU.”

“What better to give grist to the mill of the Euroskeptics,” said French EPP member Françoise Grossetête.