26/03/2026 (Agence Europe) – On Thursday 26 March, the European Commission decided to appoint Ireland’s Mairead McGuinness as its Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief outside the European Union. In this role, she will report to Magnus Brunner, Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, who will lead the Commission’s dialogue with the churches and religious associations or communities, as well as with philosophical and non-confessional organisations. A former European Commissioner responsible for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union (2020-2024), Ms McGuinness will also support intercultural and interfaith dialogue processes outside the European Union, in particular with national authorities, organisations and representatives of different faiths. The European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) in the European Parliament welcomed the appointment, which came “after an extended vacancy that had weakened the EU’s credibility on this issue”. (LC)