The European Parliament has chosen Teresa Anjinho as the new European mediator. The Portuguese will replace the Irish Emily O’Reilly. There is therefore nothing to be done for the two Italian candidates Emilio De Capitani and Marino Fardelli. With the support of 344 deputies in a secret ballot Teresa Anjinho obtained the necessary majority after two rounds of voting Teresa Anjinho is an independent human rights expert and academic researcher, member of the Supervisory Committee of the European anti-fraud (Olaf), and previously deputy ombudsman of Portugal.
During the public hearing in the Committee on Petitions on 3 December, Anjinho pledged to strengthen trust between the EU and its citizens and to uphold the highest standards of integrity, responsibility and responsiveness. “Today’s world does not understand indecision due to unnecessary formalities or bureaucracies, nor does it accept unjustified delays. We must always respect due process, essential formal rules and procedures, but we must also deal with reality. It is a question of trust in the institution, but also, ultimately, in the European Union as a whole”, he told MEPs.
The new European Ombudsman will take office after the swearing-in ceremony on 27 February at the Court of Justice of the EU, for a five-year mandate. Established in 1995, the European Ombudsman’s office investigates cases of maladministration within EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, acting on its own initiative or in response to complaints from EU citizens. The outgoing Ombudsman, Ireland’s Emily O’Reilly, first took up the role in July 2013. She was preceded by Greece’s Paraskevas Nikiforos Diamandouros (2003-2013) and Finland’s Jacob Söderman (1995-2003).
