Speech - Speaker Teresa Anjinho - City Strasbourg - Country France - Date Tuesday | 09 September 2025

Madame la première Vice-présidente Sabine Verheyen, Madame la Maire Jeanne Barseghian, Mesdames et Messieurs les Membres du Parlement européen, chers invités, amis et collègues.

Je vous remercie de vous joindre à nous en cette soirée très spéciale qui marque le trentième anniversaire du Médiateur européen.

Je remercie tout particulièrement la ville de Strasbourg non seulement pour nous avoir donné l’opportunité d'organiser cette soirée dans ce lieu magnifique, mais surtout pour avoir accueilli notre institution pendant toutes ces années.

Permettez-moi également de profiter de l’occasion pour souligner que l’un des avantages les moins évoqués du statut de Médiatrice européenne est la possibilité de passer plus de temps dans votre belle ville.

It is most fitting that Strasbourg is the home of our Office as it is also the home of the European Parliament, the EU’s only directly elected institution. Our presence here is therefore a strong symbol of our connection to citizens and our role as a bridge between them and the EU administration.

The European Ombudsman has come a long way over the course of these last thirty years. What started in 1995 with a handful of staff finding their footing in a temporary office has evolved into the EU’s uncontested guardian of good administration. Over three decades, the Office has helped countless Europeans resolve their concerns. Sometimes this meant helping a single citizen gain access to documents that seemed out of reach; other times, it meant persuading the administration to adopt higher standards of transparency for the benefit of millions.

In this way, the Ombudsman has served not only individuals but also the Union as a whole—helping it embody the values of accountability, fairness, and respect for rights that are at the heart of the European project.

These developments were shaped in large part by the vision and thoughtful leadership of the talented men and women who have led this office: the first Ombudsman Jacob Söderman, then Nikiforos Diamandouros, and Emily O’Reilly. It is an honour to follow in their footsteps.

But the story of the Ombudsman is also the story of its staff: highly skilled, deeply motivated professionals, many of whom have dedicated decades of their lives to this mission. To all of them - past and present - I say thank you.

This collective dedication and hard work gives us good reason to look back at these past thirty years with pride. It also lays solid foundations from which we can tackle the challenges of the future with confidence.

In the face of a worrying decline in public trust in institutions, rapid technological changes, and the increasingly transactional nature of global politics, the recent Eurobarometer also reflects a clear desire by citizens for a stronger and more engaged Europe. Against this backdrop, the work of the European Ombudsman - and of ombudsmen in general - will only grow in importance.

There will be many tests on the road ahead. For instance, how do we ensure that decision-making remains transparent, accountable, and inclusive even during times of urgency or crisis? How can we take advantage of the power of AI without repeating past mistakes - without creating a world that leaves people behind? And how can we confront today’s challenges without undermining the very pillars of the European project, rooted in humanist values and reflected in our fundamental principles and rights?

In these tumultuous times, I like to think of the Ombudsman as something akin to an observatory. Not one that gazes at distant stars, but one that studies the daily realities of public administration. Through the complaints we receive, we see patterns others may miss: the impact of administrative decisions on citizens’ lives, the warning signs of unfairness, the storms of mistrust that may be brewing. And from this vantage point, we can guide institutions toward fairer skies and more just solutions.

This is, in the end, the Ombudsman’s unique value. Institutions may change, laws may be rewritten, technology may transform how we live. But what must never change is the promise that there will always be someone to ensure that administration serves the people, that fundamental rights are respected, and that no one is left behind.

And perhaps most importantly of all, there will always be someone ready to listen.

I hope you all enjoy this wonderful evening. Thank you once again for celebrating with us.