On June 26 the Assembly elected Marija Pejčinović Burić Secretary General of the Council of Europe for a five-year term beginning on 18 September 2019.
In the first round of the election Marija Pejčinović Burić obtained 159 votes, an absolute majority, and Didier Reynders (Belgium) 105 votes. There were 264 votes cast.
Ms Pejčinović Burić is Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia.
The European Union congratulated Marija Pejčinović Burić, on her appointment as the next Secretary-General of the Council of Europe.
“We wish Ms. Pejčinović Burić all the best in her new position and count on her strong leadership in the years to come. On this occasion we also take the opportunity to thank Thorbjørn Jagland for his relentless efforts in the past years. The EU is a close partner of the Council of Europe. The EU and the Council of Europe are built on the same values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The EU will continue to support the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and the Council of Europe Conventions system as the principal instruments for defending human rights in Europe. The EU has a strong interest in working with the Council of Europe and benefits from its expertise, as illustrated by the important advisory role of the Venice Commission,” stated High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini.
