In the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Francis received in audience His Excellency Mr. Martin Selmayr, ambassador of the European Union, on the occasion of the presentation of his credential letters.
The new EU ambassador to the Holy See spoke to Vatican Media about the need to seek a "just peace." Born in Bonn, Germany, Martin Selmayr turns 54 on December 5. Among the responsibilities listed in his impressive CV is that of Secretary-General of the European Commission. On Thursday, 3 October, he was received in audience by Pope Francis to whom he presented his Letters of Credence becoming the new EU ambassador to the Holy See.
In an interview with Vatican Media, the diplomat spoke about the history, values, and role that the European Union plays on the international stage, during a highly critical period.
Pope Francis repeatedly and tirelessly calls for peace in the world, and he has recently mentioned the European Union, in particular, as a role model responsible for peacemaking. To what extent does the European Union see itself in this role? And how does it view the Pope as a partner in the cause of peace?
Historically, the European Union is and has always been a peace project. The European Union is about overcoming centuries of war between European countries by working together across borders and resolving conflicts and divergences peacefully, through common institutions and shared interests. That’s the essence of the European Union, and it has been a remarkably successful project. Among the 27 EU member states, there has never been a war since they joined the European Union, and this is something the EU has achieved. I grew up on the German-French border, where you can still see traces of the First and Second World Wars—on the land and in nature, particularly in places like Verdun. Yet today, we travel to the other side of the border without even recognizing it, except perhaps for better food or a nicer landscape. This is the strength of the European Union. The idea that you can overcome differences, centuries-old conflicts, and deep-rooted hatred by working together is the EU’s message of hope. Isn’t it remarkable that the European project, with the Schuman Declaration, was born just five years after the end of World War II?
Five years after Germans killed French citizens, France extended a hand to Germany through the Schuman Plan, bringing the steel and coal industries together to ensure they would never wage war against each other again. If that’s not a message of hope in these dark times—where some people are in despair—then I don’t know what is. If you compare what was possible in the European Union at that time, I believe this is possible today as well, and it should give us hope that diplomacy, collaboration, and seeking common solutions, even between seemingly incompatible partners, is worth the effort. We should never tire of it. The fact that Pope Francis consistently calls for peace, as you rightly say, serves as a good motivation to continue our efforts. He has his role, and political diplomacy has its role, but it’s important that we listen to one another and never tire of seeking solutions for peace.
The following is a brief biography of the new ambassador:
His Excellency Mr. Martin Selmayr
Ambassador of the European Union to the Holy See
His Excellency Mr. Martin Selmayr was born on 5 December 1970 in Bonn, and is married.
He studied jurisprudence at the University of Passau, Germany, at King’s College in London, and at the University of Geneva, Switzerland (1990-2000). He was awarded a doctorate in jurisprudence from the University of Passau in 2001.
He has held the following offices, among others: legal advisor to the European Central Bank (1998-2000), office head and vice president of Bertelsmann AG, Brussels, Belgium (2001-2004), spokesperson for the European Commission for the Information Society and the Media (2004-2010), head of the Cabinet of the vice-president of the European Commission and the EU Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship (2010 - 2014), head of the Cabinet of the president of the European Commission (2014 - 2018), secretary general of the European Commission (2018 - 2019), and head of the Representation of the European Commission in Austria (2019 - 2024).
Sources: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2024/10/03/241003c.html
and Excerpts from the Vatican News Interview (Images FB - Vatican Media)
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