Didier Reynders takes a leave of absence from his position as European Commissioner a little early

The new Secretary General will be elected during the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, from 24 to 28 June. The current Secretary General, Croatian Marija Pejnovic Buric, will leave on September 18.

Five years ago, Reynders had to praise Burek when they were both candidates for the job.

The fact that he did not do so enabled the former minister and deputy prime minister to become the European Commissioner for Justice. He took office with the entire committee on December 1, 2019.

Among the four and a half years that his term as European Commissioner lasted, the introduction of the European Corona Digital Certificate and the defense of the rule of law against “illiberal democracies” are particularly remembered.

Didier Reynders is not the first commissioner to withdraw from the Commission. For example, he took over heavy competition authority from Danish Margrethe Vestager, when he was a candidate to head the European Investment Bank.

Reynders, 65 years old, was also interested in drawing the European list for his party (Sidiye), but it was European Council President Charles Michel who claimed the leadership position, but he withdrew his candidacy and left the matter to former Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès. Meanwhile, the federal government had already nominated Reynders for the position of Secretary General of the Council of Europe.