Clare man takes over high-profile role alongside Ursula von der Leyen
Anthony Whelan has stepped up for a new role at the European Commission
A Clare man has temporarily taken over a high-profile role alongside Ursula von der Leyen at the European Commission.
Anthony Whelan, originally from Scarriff, has stepped up as Ursula von der Leyen’s chief of staff.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has worked with Mr Whelan since 2019. He was previously her advisor on digital policy.
Mr Whelan will take over the position until early June, while Björn Seibert takes temporary leave to run Dr von der Leyen’s campaign to run for a second term as the president of the European Commission.
According to the Irish Times, Mr Whelan has been described as being “very effective in a non-flashy way” by an EU official who worked with him.
Mr Whelan previously worked as a barrister and had been a lecturer in public law at Trinity College Dublin, followed by a number of years as legal secretary in the chambers of an Advocate General at the European Court of Justice.