In the meantime, the Council of Europe appoints a Secretary General’s Special Representative on antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred, and all forms of religious intolerance
15 months after the end of the mandate of the last EU Special Envoy on FORB and 20 months after the last elections of the European Parliament (June 2024), Ursula von der Leyen has still not filled in the vacant position despite growing impatience inside the European Union and in countries outside the EU where believers of all faiths and non-believers are persecuted. This issue obviously remains a non-priority for Ursula von der Leyen.
She also remains deaf to calls from Members of the European Parliament, politicians around Europe, the COMECE, Humanists International, academics, defenders of freedom of religion or belief, civil society organizations and victims of FORB violations worldwide.
Moreover, there was no public call for candidacies and therefore any appointment will fail to meet one of the most basic principles of democracy that EU citizens can expect from an EU institution: transparency.
In China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Vietnam… believers of all faiths and non-believers are in urgent need of concrete acts of an EU Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief and desperately for a white smoke from Brussels.
Since the end of the full mandate of the very first EU Special Envoy, Jan Figel, on 30 November 2019, the European Commission has only appointed two Special Envoys for short periods: Christos Stylianides (Cyprus), who left after 4 months, and Baron Frans van Daele (Belgium) for 2 years.
The Council of Europe (CoE) has recently appointed a Greek Special Representative against all forms of religious intolerance. A number of EU member states followed the same path.
Over the last 6 years and 3 months, the European Commission has dramatically and willfully failed to appoint an EU Special Envoy on FORB.
The CoE appointed a special representative on antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred and all forms of religious intolerance
On 1 December 2025, Irene Kitsou-Milonas (Greece), was appointed as the Special Representative of the Secretary General on antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred and all forms of religious intolerance, assuming her duties.
“I am pleased to see Irene Kitsou-Milonas begin her mandate as my Special Representative on antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred, and all forms of religious intolerance,” stated Secretary General Alain Berset. “From the Middle East to our own societies, these forces of hate weaken democracy and divide communities.
Combating antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred and all forms of religious intolerance has been one of the priorities of the 46-member Council of Europe, the continent’s leading organisation for the protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. According to Alain Berset, “this work is fundamental to safeguarding the peace project embodied by the Council of Europe, as envisioned by its founding fathers in the aftermath of the Second World War”.
Irene Kitsou-Milonas was previously Deputy Director in the Private Office of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, in charge of the portfolio on the fight against antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred and all forms of religious intolerance since 2017. Since 2022, she coordinated the launch of the Council of Europe interreligious dialogue among religious leaders.
As part of her academic engagement, she has conducted seminars on constitutional and international human-rights law at European universities, and authored publications on the ECHR case-law, with focus on the freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief.
Irene Kitsou-Milonas is an experienced person with years of practice with regard to religious issues. The EU should follow the example of the CoE in its next appointment and not be tempted by an “easy” purely political nomination.
Several European States have also appointed their own Special Envoy on FORB
A number of EU countries have appointed their own Special Envoy on FORB because they are deeply concerned about religious persecution around the world.
Here is a list of Special Envoys that does not claim to be exhaustive:
AUSTRIA: Ambassador Alexander Rieger
Ambassador to Jakarta (December 2025)
Head of Task Force for Intercultural and Inter-religious Dialogue (MFA, Vienna)
CZECH REPUBLIC: Ambassador Robert Rehak
Special Envoy for Holocaust, Interfaith Dialogue and Freedom of Religion (Czech Republic) – Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues, Combating Antisemitism, and Freedom of Religion or Belief at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic
DENMARK: Ambassador Nathalia Feinberg
Special Representative for Freedom of Religion or Belief and the Protection of Religious or Belief Minorities
HUNGARY: Márk Aurél Érszegi
Special Advisor for Religion and Diplomacy (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade)
Tristan Azbej
State Secretary, Head of the Office for Aid to Persecuted Christians (MFA in Budapest)
ITALY: Davide Dionisi
Special Envoy for the Promotion of Freedom of Religion and the Protection of Religious Minorities in the World, especially Christian minorities (MFA)
NETHERLANDS: Ambassador Paulus Beckers
Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief
Former Ambassador, à Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the UN and WTO and other international organizations in Geneva
NORWAY: Fernanda San Martin Carrasco
Director of the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB)
UNITED KINGDOM: David Smith
Member of the UK Parliament for North Northumberland (Labour Party)
