Ex-EU Ombudsman Slams Commission's 'Elitist' Lack of Transparency
L'essentiel
- Former EU Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly criticized the European Commission's lack of transparency, calling it 'elitist' and a threat to democracy.
- She highlighted frustration with the Commission ignoring her office's recommendations, citing vaccine contracts as an example.
Résumé généré par IA
Pourquoi c'est important
Emily O’Reilly, the former EU Ombudsman, has criticized the European Commission for a lack of transparency, which she believes is a threat to democracy. Her office's role is to uphold transparency norms, but its judgments are non-binding.
BRUSSELS — The EU’s former ombudsman slammed the “elitist” lack of transparency at the European Commission, arguing it was a threat to democracy.
You can’t have people in the buildings around here making decisions, making regulations and keeping all the information on which they’re basing their decision-making to themselves,” she said in response to a question from POLITICO. “That is elitist and that is anti-democratic.”
The ombudsman’s role within the EU is to uphold transparency norms at the EU institutions. But its judgments are non-binding and depend on those same institutions to be implemented.
O’Reilly, who hails from Ireland and was the EU’s first female ombudsman, said she was often “frustrated” that the Commission chose to ignore her office’s recommendations and acted “time and time again” as if “the people couldn’t be trusted with certain information.”
“If you had issues, such as the whole thing around Covid-19 and the vaccine contracts … even though the recommendations that I made were legally sound, valid … they were still not acted on,” she said.
NGOs, the press and even some ex-commissioners have long criticized the Commission for a culture of secrecy under its two-term president, Ursula von der Leyen, who has been accused of acting unilaterally.
O’Reilly was replaced in 2025 at the end of her mandate by Teresa Anjinho, Portugal’s former justice minister.
The Commission did not immediately respond to POLITICO’s request for comment.
Questions ouvertes
- Will the European Commission change its transparency practices in response to this criticism?
- What specific actions will Democracy27 take?
- How will NGOs and the press continue to pressure the Commission?
- What is the Commission's official response to these specific allegations?
