Commissioner Didier Reynders shortlisted for Council of Europe top job

EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders was shortlisted to become the next secretary general of the Council of Europe, the Committee of Ministers announced on Tuesday (26 March).

The Strasbourg-based human rights institution which includes the Court of Human Rights said Didier Reynders is among the top three contenders for the job, according to a press released.

Reydners is competing against the Swiss Alain Berset and the Estonian Indrek Saar.

Berset was twice President of the Confederation in 2018 and 2023 and headed the Federal Department of Home Affairs in Switzerland, where he touched upon the issues of health, gender equality, child and youth policy, anti-discrimination, and anti-racism.

Saar has been the minister of Culture of Estonia (2015–2019), a member of the Estonian Parliament for four terms (2019–2023) under the socialist banner, and a member of the country’s delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

The Parliamentary Assembly’s final vote, which gathers representatives from all 46 member countries, is scheduled for June.

The European commissioner in charge of Justice, a Belgian liberal politician, has already tried to secure the top job position in 2019 when he was Belgium’s deputy prime minister and minister in charge of foreign affairs and defence. He lost to the Croat Marija Pejcinovic Buric.

If elected, however, it is unclear whether Reydners will quit his job as commissioner before the end of his mandate in the autumn or stay until the end of his term.

Reydners is part of the series of commissioners that have signalled interest in quitting their position under the leadership of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Former Culture Commissioner Mariya Gabriel returned to Bulgaria as a foreign minister and prime minister in waiting, and Frans Timmermans, formerly in charge of the EU Green Deal, now leads the Dutch opposition.

They both resigned over the course of the spring and summer last year.

Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen ran for Finland’s presidential elections in January, and Margrethe Vestager, vice-president of the EU’s competition agenda, campaigned to take over the European Investment Bank (EIB). They both returned to their positions.

[Edited by Alice Taylor]

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