German, French Pressure Led to EU's About-Face on Google

Google’s hard-fought settlement with European Union antitrust authorities over its search practices generated strong political opposition in France and Germany after which the deal was put back on the drawing board, EU officials and antitrust experts said.

Antitrust experts and EU officials said the real battle may have been fought within the commission itself, whose 28 members -- one for each of the bloc's member states -- must approve big EU antitrust decisions. The commission is by its nature highly political. Several key commissioners, including energy czar Günther Oettinger of Germany and financial-services chief Michel Barnier of France, have expressed strong displeasure with the current settlement.