EU Ombudsman slams lack of transparency under von der Leyen’s leadership

The European Commission operates under a culture of opacity and unelected influence, according to Emily O’Reilly, the outgoing EU ombudsman, who places the blame squarely on Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

In an interview with POLITICO’s EU Confidential podcast, O’Reilly, who has served as the EU’s accountability and transparency watchdog for over a decade, criticised the increasing lack of openness within the Commission during von der Leyen’s tenure.

Over her 11 years in the role, O’Reilly never met the Commission president, which she described as emblematic of a broader issue.

The ombudsman specifically targeted the president’s cabinet, calling its members “intelligent people — but they’re not elected.” She referred to these advisers as “powerful consiglieri,” borrowing a term often associated with mafia bosses, to describe their behind-the-scenes influence.

“The culture always comes from the top,” O’Reilly asserted, linking the Commission’s lack of transparency to von der Leyen and her closest advisers. She warned that withholding information for political reasons sets a troubling precedent.

O’Reilly also expressed frustration with the Commission’s resistance to releasing documents, calling the trend “worrying.” Despite following legal frameworks and citing European Court of Justice rulings, requests for transparency were often stonewalled.

The ombudsman’s role is to promote transparency and root out conflicts of interest across EU institutions, though its recommendations are non-binding and dependent on voluntary compliance. Reflecting on her tenure, O’Reilly criticised the European Parliament for failing to effectively hold the Commission accountable, urging lawmakers to assert their oversight role more forcefully.

“When MEPs ask me how to make the Commission more accountable, I think, ‘You’re asking me?’” she said. “They’re the ones with the power to hold the Commission to account, and if they don’t realise that, it’s deeply concerning.”

As O’Reilly prepares to step down in February, she will be succeeded by Teresa Anjinho, a former Portuguese justice minister approved by the European Parliament. Her successor will inherit the challenge of promoting transparency in an increasingly opaque system.

O’Reilly’s parting message underscores her fear that a passive Parliament will allow the culture of secrecy within the Commission to deepen. “If the Parliament starts to internalise this idea that it can’t exercise proper oversight over the Commission, that’s the way it’s going to go,” she warned.