The European Commission gave assurances on Monday 26 February that the procedure for the appointment, with effect from 1 March, of the head of Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s private office, Martin Selmayr (Germany), to the post of secretary general of the institution was fully in line with internal rules on the promotion of high-ranking officials, rejecting accusations made by French newspaper Libération (see EUROPE 11966).
Facing competition from one other candidate, Selmayr was first appointed assistant secretary general on Wednesday 21 February, following a three-week procedure. The Commission then promoted him to the post of secretary general after the resignation the same day of Alexander Italianer (Netherlands), who remains an adviser to Juncker.
Keen to demonstrate internal political continuity, the Commission has several times highlighted the fine understanding between Selmayr and Italianer, firstly by the president himself on Twitter, at the time of Selmayr’s appointment, and then in the press room after the informal European summit on Friday 23 February.
When questioned on Monday, Commission spokesperson Alexander Winterstein did not say when exactly Selmayr became aware of the vacancy of the post of secretary general of the European Commission.
Selmayr joined the Commission as the spokesperson for former commissioner Viviane Reding between 2004 and 2009. He then became head of Reding’s private office until 2014, when he was promoted to the post of head of the president’s private office.
MEP Sven Giegold (Greens/EFA, Germany) has called for the appointment to be investigated by the European Parliament. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)