Martin Selmayr, the outgoing European Commission secretary-general, will become the Commission's representative to Austria | Frederick Florin/AFP Via Getty Images Martin Selmayr’s new job: The EU’s man in Vienna European Commission’s most powerful civil servant will become chief representative in Austria.

Vienna, brace for impact.

Martin Selmayr, the outgoing European Commission secretary-general, will become the Commission's representative to Austria later this year. The College of Commissioners decided on the German official's move at their Wednesday meeting, according to two EU officials.

Selmayr, who will rank as an hors classe adviser to Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker until he takes up his new role in Vienna in November, had announced his swift resignation as the EU executive's highest-ranking civil servant in an interview with Playbook last week in Strasbourg. “I won’t stay in Brussels,” Selmayr told Playbook in the interview, adding he would move to Austria after taking a "long holiday."

Now the nature of his new role in Austria has become clear. A post as the European Commission's emissary to a small member state is certainly far cry from the influence Selmayr currently enjoys in the EU's top administration job. But the same would apply to any other post the EU could offer.

In the interview with Playbook, Selmayr indicated he felt he had worked hard enough “on the 12th and 13th floor” of the Commission's Berlaymont headquarters for one and a half decades as a spokesperson and head of Cabinet, as a campaign manager to Jean-Claude Juncker, and in his current position and now wants "a life."

The College of Commissioners, according to the Commission's chief spokesperson Mina Andreeva, "bid farewell, expressed gratitude and wished well to" Selmayr and two more departing senior officials, former chief spokesman Margaritis Schinas — who is Greece's proposed next commissioner — and Johannes Laitenberger, director general for competition, who will be a judge at the EU's General Court in Luxembourg.

Selmayr will take over as the European Commission's representative in Vienna from Jörg Wojahn, who'll move to Berlin to head the Commission's mission there, according to two EU officials. Current Berlin representative Richard Kühnel, meanwhile, will return to Brussels for a senior role at the Commission's directorate general for communication.

The College also decided about "arrangements ad interim," one official said, to replace Selmayr: As reported by Playbook, his deputy Ilze Juhanzone will take over as acting secretary-general, while it will be for the next College of Commissioners to decide about who to appoint on a permanent basis, the official said. </s> The outgoing Secretary-General of the European Commission, Martin Selmayr, has been appointed to Vienna as head of the EU’s delegation in Austria while also being named as a special advisor to EU President Jean-Claude Juncker.

Before taking up duties in Vienna on 1 November, Selmayr will continue acting as an adviser to Juncker on “important strategic matters,” according to the Commission’s announcement, which also stated, “In this function, Selmayr will continue to advise European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on important strategic issues until 31 October.”

Selmayr is expected to act as an advisor on Brexit now that Boris Johnson has become the UK’s new prime minister, who has reiterated that he intends for Britain to quit the EU without a deal on 31 October if there is no better divorce deal between Brussels and London. Juncker and the entire College of EU Commissioners expressed their appreciation to Selmayr for his “outstanding qualities and achievements” and thanked him for his “effective management”. Until a successor for Selmayr has been found, Jivka Petkova, a Bulgarian who is responsible for strategy, better lawmaking and organization leadership, and Michael Karnitschnig of Austria, head of foreign relations, will support the General Secretariat beginning on 1 August. Selmayr had been a major power broker in the Juncker Commission but his sudden appointment as secretary-general last year proved highly unpopular with many in Brussels. </s> Martin Selmayr, the most controversial, powerful and shortlived head of the European Commission’s civil service who one critic said should be sent to “Outer Mongolia”, is leaving Brussels for the relative backwater of Austria.

In what the German official’s many antagonists will see as an abrupt demotion, Mr Selmayr is to be posted to Vienna as head of the EU’s delegation there, representing the bloc in what is a quasi-ambassadorial role.

A close lieutenant of Jean-Claude Juncker, the outgoing president, Mr Selmayr’s unrivalled grip on the bureaucracy of Brussels, as well as his notoriety and ruthless working methods, quickly overshadowed many of the politicians on the commission.

“The five years of the Jean Claude Juncker commission would be inconceivable without his contribution,” said Günther Oettinger, the commissioner for human resources.

But Mr Selmayr’s all-powerful reputation as Mr Juncker’s chief of staff and later commission secretary-general made him countless enemies in other parts of Brussels.

He shrugged off the criticisms, once telling the Financial Times: “You cannot run the European Commission like a Montessori school.”

The announcement of his move, to take effect from November, comes just days after Ursula von der Leyen was confirmed as the next president of the commission.

The incoming head of the EU executive has decided to replace Mr Selmayr to satisfy his opponents in the European Parliament and dispel doubts about her authority when she takes over.

Many MEPs had demanded Mr Selmayr’s departure as a condition for supporting Ms von der Leyen, including Socialists, Greens and even some German centre-right MEPs who hail from the same CDU party as Mr Selmayr.

Philippe Lamberts, the leader of the Green group, had suggested Ms von der Leyen dispatch Mr Selmayr to represent the EU “in Outer Mongolia”.

Even a less controversial figure than Mr Selmayr might have struggled to overcome objections to Brussels’ top civil servant being of the same nationality as the incoming president, Germany’s former defence minister.

His stint as secretary general has been dogged by controversy over the nature of his sudden appointment in March last year, which involved a double promotion in the space of a few minutes. The European Parliament alleged the switch of jobs was “coup-like”.

One ambassador in Brussels said: “He lived by the sword and in the end they cut him down”. Another said: “We are sorry to see him go. He was very capable. Every man has his weaknesses. But he got things done.”

There has long been speculation that Mr Selmayr would seek a top posting in Washington, at the European Central Bank or as the EU’s envoy to London after Brexit – a country where perhaps his notoriety is greatest.

But Mr Selmayr told friends he wants to go to Vienna for three or four years so he can devote more time to teaching EU law at the universities of Saarbrücken, Passau and Krems – a sideline he kept during his time at the commission.

Until November, Mr Selmayr will remain an adviser to Mr Juncker. The commission said the president and his team paid tribute to Mr Selmayr’s “outstanding qualities and achievements”.

Ms von der Leyen is not expected to appoint Mr Selmayr’s replacement until later in the year. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2019 </s> FILE- In this Wednesday, March 7, 2018 file photo, Secretary-General of the Commission Martin Selmayr waits for the start of a meeting at EU headquarters in Brussels. The European Union's official transparency watchdog on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018 said the EU's executive Commission put public trust at risk by fast-tracking the appointment of Martin Selmayr. Selmayr, Juncker's former head of cabinet, was appointed Commission Secretary-General in February 2018 at a meeting that saw him promoted twice within minutes. less

FILE- In this Wednesday, March 7, 2018 file photo, Secretary-General of the Commission Martin Selmayr waits for the start of a meeting at EU headquarters in Brussels. The European Union's official transparency ... more

FILE - In this May 3, 2017 file photo, Martin Selmayr, right, attends a meeting with EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, center, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at EU headquarters in Brussels. The European Union's official transparency watchdog on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018 said the EU's executive Commission put public trust at risk by fast-tracking the appointment of Martin Selmayr. Selmayr, Juncker's former head of cabinet, was appointed Commission Secretary-General in February 2018 at a meeting that saw him promoted twice within minutes. less

FILE - In this May 3, 2017 file photo, Martin Selmayr, right, attends a meeting with EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, center, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at EU headquarters ... more

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union's official transparency watchdog said Tuesday that the EU's powerful executive Commission put public trust at risk by fast-tracking the appointment of a protege of its president, Jean-Claude Juncker, to a top job.

Martin Selmayr, Juncker's former head of Cabinet, was appointed secretary-general in February at a meeting that saw him promoted twice within minutes.

Even EU commissioners — who are responsible for policy files ranging from the economy to trade, the environment and energy — publicly admitted surprise at the speed with which the nomination was handled. Many weren't aware that the promotion was planned in advance, by Juncker himself.

Accusing the European Commission of "maladministration," European Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly said that the way the appointment was handled "risked jeopardizing the hard won record of high EU administrative standards and consequently, the public trust."

"It is extraordinary that no commissioner seemed to question the secretary-general appointment procedure, which in the end raised valid widespread concerns." she said.

O'Reilly didn't say the move was illegal or question Selmayr's suitability for the post.

Selmayr now runs the European Commission — which has around 33,000 employees and whose commissioners are appointed, not elected — and so wields strong influence over the EU's agenda and policy priorities. Juncker, who is of ailing health, stood by Selmayr when news of the appointment procedure became public and vowed to quit himself before he would ever try to force his protege out.

O'Reilly urged the commission to develop a specific and separate appointment procedure for appointing the secretary-general to avoid a repeat in future.

The commission, meanwhile, said it "has a different factual assessment" of parts of the ombudsman's report.

The commissioner responsible for human resources, Guenther Oettinger, said he looked forward to discussing with other EU institutions "how the application of the current rules and procedures can be improved in the future." A meeting has been scheduled for Sept. 25, he said.

The nature of the appointment, exposed by French newspaper Liberation, raised deep concerns because the European Commission is the guardian of the EU's treaties and the arbiter of the bloc's democratic standards yet stands accused of bending its own rules.

For example, the commission has launched a rule of law procedure against Poland for changes made by the new government there that Brussels believes undermine the independence of the courts and justice system. It's locked in a similar battle with Hungary. Both countries say — like the commission in this case — that they are following the letter of the law.

Part of the reason that Britons voted to leave the 28-nation bloc next year was the perception that unelected, unaccountable, well-heeled bureaucrats in Brussels were stitching up backroom deals against the interests of citizens and with the aim of enriching themselves. Regardless of his competence, Selmayr's nomination embodies the concerns of many euroskeptics. </s> Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Martin Selmayr (R) became Mr Juncker's chief of staff in 2014

The EU ombudsman has given a damning verdict on the way Jean-Claude Juncker's chief of staff was given the top post in the bloc's civil service.

The promotion of Martin Selmayr, nicknamed "the monster" by his boss, was fast-tracked in February, in a move condemned by one Euro MP as a "coup".

Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly identified four counts of maladministration by the European Commission.

She said the affair had damaged public trust in EU institutions.

Ms O'Reilly agreed with the European Parliament's assessment that the promotion had "stretched and possibly even overstretched the limits of the law".

However, her report will not affect his promotion. She calls only for the top job to have an appointment procedure separate from that for other senior posts.

Who is Martin Selmayr?

A lawyer originally from the German city of Bonn, he has worked for the Commission since 2004, but really came to the fore in 2014 when he was picked by Mr Juncker, then the new president of the European Commission, as his chief of staff.

He masterminded Mr Juncker's campaign for the presidency, and has since been described as the most powerful man in Brussels and the "Frank Underwood" of the Commission, in a reference to the House of Cards political thriller.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Rise of Martin Selmayr, Juncker's ex-chief of staff

In 2017, there were reports that he had leaked details of a confidential Brexit dinner meeting between Theresa May and Mr Juncker. German newspaper FAZ said Mr Juncker had left "ten times more sceptical than before".

Mr Selmayr has been in charge of the 32,000-strong EU bureaucracy since 1 March. One widely-circulated joke in Brussels about his alleged self-importance runs: "What's the difference between God and Selmayr? God knows he's not Selmayr."

How was Selmayr promoted?

It all happened in the space of a dizzying few minutes at a meeting of European commissioners on 21 February.

Mr Selmayr was appointed deputy secretary-general and the existing top civil servant, Alexander Italianer, suddenly announced he was retiring.

Without being promoted to the deputy's post first, Mr Selmayr could not have been given the top job. The only other candidate for deputy had conveniently pulled out the day before.

Mr Juncker then said his chief of staff should get the top job and he was duly appointed.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Mr Selmayr was accused of leaking details of a confidential dinner meeting involving Mr Juncker and the UK prime minister

The European Parliament condemned the handling of the promotion, and there were reports that Mr Juncker had threatened to quit if the newly appointed secretary-general was forced out.

What does the ombudsman say?

In her scathing report, Emily O'Reilly pointed to several "issues of concern":

Mr Selmayr had not "recused himself" from decision-making that led to the deputy vacancy that he ultimately filled

The appointment procedure for the deputy role was carried out "to make Mr Selmayr eligible for his immediate reassignment as the new secretary-general"

The Commission reacted to valid concerns in an "evasive, defensive and legalistic manner".

She cited four instances of maladministration, including failing to avoid risking a conflict of interests, and warned that the sequence of events had placed the "wider legitimacy of the EU... at unnecessary risk".

The European Commission said it did not share all aspects of the report, but welcomed her decision not to contest the legality of the appointment. </s> The European Commission confirmed Wednesday that Selmayr would not stay on as secretary general when fellow German Ursula von der Leyen takes over as president of the EU's executive in November.

Instead, Selmayr is set to head the EU's mission in Austria, the Commission said.

EU Commissioner for Personnel Günter Oettinger said it was "self evident" that the general secretary "should not have the same nationality" as the president.

Oettinger heaped praise on Selmayr, thanking him for his "effective management" as head of the EU's 32,000-member civil service.

"I think the five years of the Jean-Claude Juncker Commission would not be conceivable in this form without his [Selmayr's] involvement," said Oettinger.

"I think most are thankful to him. And those that are not thankful have respect for him, at least," added Oettinger.

Selmayr had hinted at his departure last week. Wednesday's decision was reached by the EU's College of Commissioners.

Watch video 01:50 Share Von der Leyen voted in Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3MBDA Von der Leyen elected first woman EU Commission president

Rebukes last year

Selmayr, a 48-year-old who studied law in Germany, the United States and Britain, was fast-tracked to become the commission's secretary general in February 2018, earning rebukes from the bloc's ombudswoman Emily O'Reilly and the European Parliament.

Between 2004 and 2010, he served as Commission spokesman on telecommunications and media policy.

Before taking up duties in Vienna on November 1, Selmayr will continue acting as an adviser to Juncker on "important strategic matters," according to the Commission.

Who will succeed Selmayr hinges upon von der Leyen, who takes office as Commission president on November 1.

Latvia's Juhansone acting secretary general

In the interim, the top post will be handled on a temporary basis by Ilze Juhansone of Latvia, the EU bureaucracy's longest-serving deputy general secretary.

In Vienna, Selmayr will replace Jörg Wojahn, who is set to move to Berlin to head the Commission's mission there, Politico magazine reported.

ipj/amp (AFP, dpa)

Every evening, DW sends out a selection of the day's news and features. Sign up here. </s> Presidents of the European Commission should be able to choose their own secretary-general, EU budget chief Günther Oettinger said Wednesday, following criticism of how Martin Selmayr came to fill the EU’s most senior civil service post.

Oettinger was asked during the DLD Europe conference in Brussels whether the Commission could have done anything differently in the swift appointment of Selmayr as secretary-general, which the European Ombudsman slammed in a scathing report on Tuesday.

The budget commissioner said in response that the head of the Commission should be able to choose someone they think is trustworthy and capable of organizing the internal processes of the Commission. Oettinger added that even members of the European Council were wondering why the president doesn’t have the right to choose a secretary-general.

Currently, the secretary-general has to be approved in a vote by commissioners.

“Take my chancellor as an example,” Oettinger said, referring to German Chancellor Angela Merkel. “Do you really think when she has to appoint a new boss of her chancellery, she would ask anybody? It’s her decision.”

Selmayr’s rapid rise from President Jean-Claude Juncker’s chief of staff to secretary-general earlier this year created a storm in Brussels. European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly was urged by the European Parliament to investigate his appointment, and her report this week concluded the Commission had committed four acts of “maladministration” in the process.

Oettinger said Wednesday that Selmayr is a person that “nobody is neutral about.”

“Many like him and are happy to have him on our team. But not everybody likes him,” the commissioner said. “Therefore it was clear that not everybody was happy with his appointment — in the Parliament, in the public sphere, even in the Commission.”

Still, Oettinger said he is convinced that Selmayr is competent and can fulfill all the responsibilities of the secretary-general position. </s> The ombudsman said the commission had "stretched and possibly even overstretched the limits of the law the limits of the law" when making Martin Selmayr its Secretary General through a fast-tracked process.

Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly's report concluded that the Commission had failed on 4 counts, at the level of:

- the composition of the consultative committee;

- the selection process itself, which involved Selmayr's appointment first as Deputy Secretary General;

- secrecy about the vacancy, which created a sense of urgency to fill the post

Despite these criticisms the Commission today rejected suggestions that Mr Selmayr should resign.

When quizzed by Euronews's political editor Darren McCaffrey over whether Mr Selmayr should resign and reapply for the job, the European Commission's spokesperson said:

"While we do not share all aspects of the underlying report, we welcome that the ombudsman based on the extensive material she received from us, neither contests the legality of the appointment procedure of the Secretary-General, nor the choice of candidate, who is described as a competent EU official, highly committed to the European Union."

The ombudsman's findings do not suggest that Mr Selmayr should not continue is his post, but it does raise questions about the transparency of the European Commission. </s> The European Ombudsman has criticised the European Commission for the way in which it appointed its top civil servant, Martin Selmayr. The ombudsman said the commission had “stretched and possibly overstretched the limits of the law” when making Mr Selmayr its Secretary General, and this is raising questions about the European Commission’s transparency.
Secretary-General of the European Commission Martin Selmayr is appointed as EC representative in Austria from November 1 on.