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 Bertelsmann's vice president for legal affairs and government relations and head of the Brussels office.
In early 2014, Jean-Claude Juncker won the nomination of the European People's 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.[7]
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."[8]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.[9][10]
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.[12] On 1 March 2018, following the formal retirement of Italianer, Selmayr was approved by the College of Commissioners to replace him as secretary-general.[13] Some media sources claimed that support for Selmayr had been "bought", and with others claiming that Selmayr had "forced" his way into the position.[14] The president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker reportedly threatened to resign if the controversy led to Selmayr's dismissal.[15] On 25 March 2018 the commission issued a formal statement claiming that Selmayr's promotion was in accordance with legal procedures.[16]
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".[17] The Ombudsman's statement was rejected by the commission.[18]
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.[19] 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".[20][21]
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 EU's permanent representative to Austria.[22]
Other activities
GLOBSEC, Member of the International Advisory Council[23]
Personal life
Selmayr is a Protestant.[20] 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.[24]
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
