European Central Bank
Which employer did Martin Selmayr work for from 1998 to 2000?
Martin Selmayr Martin Selmayr ( born 5 December 1970 ) is a European civil servant from Germany who was Secretary-General of the European Commission from 2018 to 2019 and Chief of Staff to Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker from 2014 to 2018 . During his time in the Juncker Commission , Selmayr was widely described as one of the most influential figures within the European Union . After taking office as Secretary-General , he was described in a debate in the European Parliament as the most powerful bureaucrat in the world . A resident of Brussels since 2000 , he is a member of the Christian Democratic and Flemish ( CD&V ) party of Belgium . He is considered by many to be close to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany and its leadership , but the European Commission said he has never been a member of that party . Early life and career . Selmayr studied law at the University of Geneva , before earning his PhD at the University of Passau . He worked for the European Central Bank from 1998 to 2000 , before joining the media conglomerate Bertelsmann as a legal adviser in Brussels in 2001 . He eventually became Bertelsmanns vice president for legal affairs and government relations and head of the Brussels office . European Commission . In 2004 , he first joined the European Commission as a civil servant . He went on to serve in a variety of roles , firstly as Commission Spokesperson for Information Society and Media , before becoming Head of Cabinet to the Commissioner for Justice , Fundamental Rights and Citizenship , Viviane Reding . He was appointed by the commission , as a Principal Adviser to the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs , and as a Director at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development . In early 2014 , Jean-Claude Juncker won the nomination of the European Peoples Party ( EPP ) to be their candidate for President of the European Commission . Juncker appointed Selmayr his campaign director , and after the EPP emerged as the largest party in the European Parliament following the election in May 2014 , Selmayr became the head of the Juncker transition team . After taking office as president on 1 November 2014 , Juncker made Selmayr his Head of Cabinet and Chief of Staff . Shortly after his appointment , various media reports began to profile Selmayr as a highly influential figure within EU politics , with Politico describing him as the most powerful EU chief of staff ever in November 2016 , noting that even Jean-Claude Juncker jokingly referred to Selmayr by the nickname the Monster . Tomáš Prouza , the Czech State Secretary for European Affairs , stated publicly that when I need a decision to be taken...I talk to Martin . In October 2017 , he was accused in the British media of leaking details relating to Brexit negotiations , though Selmayr denied these accusations . Secretary-General . Selmayr was appointed Deputy Secretary-General of the European Commission in February 2018 . Minutes after this appointment , Juncker informed the European Commissioners that the then Secretary-General , Alexander Italianer , intended to retire ; they had not been previously notified of this . On 1 March 2018 , following the formal retirement of Italianer , Selmayr was approved by the College of Commissioners to replace him as Secretary-General . Some media sources claimed that support for Selmayr had been bought , and with others claiming that Selmayr had forced his way into the position . The President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker reportedly threatened to resign if the controversy led to Selmayrs dismissal . On 25 March 2018 the Commission issued a formal statement claiming that Selmayrs promotion was in accordance with legal procedures . The European Ombudsman contested the lightning-quick appointment of Selmayr from Deputy Secretary-General to Secretary-General , found instances of maladministration and concluded that the Commission did not follow EU law . The Ombudsmans statement was rejected by the commission . In the immediate aftermath of his appointment as Secretary-General of the European Commission it was reported that Selmayr had been editing Wikipedia using his own name from an account using a verified ec.europa.eu email address . The Commission stated that he did so to correct specific information ( including his work positions as well as political and religious affiliations ) , in direct interaction with a Wikipedia editor , who checked and verified all information ...and ensured that it is properly referenced . Selmayr resigned as Secretary-General on 1 August 2019 , having held the office for less time than any of his predecessors ; it was speculated that the decision by the European Council to nominate Ursula von der Leyen as replacement for Juncker as Commission President was a factor behind the decision . He was subsequently appointed as the EUs Permanent Representative to Austria . Personal and family life . Selmayr is a Protestant . He is married and has lived in Brussels since 2000 . He has been a member of the Christian Democratic and Flemish ( CD&V ) party of Belgium since 2014 . He is the son of the lawyer Gerhard Selmayr ; his paternal grandfather was Brigadier General Josef Selmayr , and his maternal grandfather was Lieutenant General Heinrich Gaedcke . Members of the Selmayr family own a castle near Munich . Books . - The Law of The European Central Bank , Oxford : Hart Publishing ( 2001 ) , with Chiara Zilioli - Das Recht der Wirtschafts- und Währungsunion : Die Vergemeinschaftung der Währung , Baden-Baden ( 2002 ) . - La Banca centrale europea , Milan ( 2007 ) , with Chiara Zilioli