Didier Reynders is taking unpaid leave at the European Commission to focus on the election campaign at the Council of Europe

Belgian European Commissioner Didier Reynders will take unpaid leave from the Commission from April 25 to fully focus on his campaign for the election of the next Secretary General of the Council of Europe. The Commission announced this on Wednesday evening.

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on Monday validated the three applications it received for the post of Secretary General. These are Didier Reynders, the Swiss socialist Alain Berset and the social democrat Indrek Saar from Estonia. At the end of June, the Parliamentary Assembly will decide who can succeed Croatian Marija Pejcinovic Buric.

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Reynders informed Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday that he is one of the three selected candidates for the top job and asked her whether he can take unpaid leave until the election of the new Secretary General. His absence would take effect on April 25, the day of the last votes in the European Parliament during the current legislature.

Von der Leyen has granted the Belgian commissioner’s request, the Commission said. Until April 25, he may not be involved in any way, directly or indirectly, in the election campaign, no campaign may be conducted in his name until then and any possible perception of a conflict of interest must be avoided. These are commitments that Reynders has already said he will fulfill.

In addition, Von der Leyen says, he may not call on the Commission’s resources during his absence and must continue to comply with the code of conduct for European Commissioners.

The Council of Europe monitors human rights on the European continent and has 46 member states. The institution is completely separate from the European Union. In 2019, Reynders was already a candidate to become secretary general, but he lost out to Pejcinovic Buric. Now he is making a new attempt, after the federal government formally nominated him in January.

The Parliamentary Assembly will decide on the new Secretary General between 24 and 28 June. The mandate starts on September 18.