Dear Chair,

Honourable Members of Parliament,

It is a genuine honour — and also a deeply personal moment — to address the Assembly of the Portuguese Republic today. This place carries particular meaning for me, not only for what it represents in Portugal's democratic life, but because I myself had the privilege of serving here as a Member of Parliament.

Anyone who has sat in this Chamber knows that Parliament is more than an institution. It is a demanding school — of democracy, of listening, of responsibility, and of compromise.

It is here that the distance between political decisions and the daily lives of citizens is measured. This is where we learn that democratic legitimacy does not  end on election day: it is renewed through the quality of debate, the seriousness of decisions, the transparency of procedures, and the willingness to respond to people's real concerns.

I return to this House today with new responsibilities, which I approach above all with humility and a strong sense of duty.

By electing me European Ombudsman, the European Parliament has entrusted me with a clear mission: to help ensure that the EU administration lives up to the trust citizens place in it.

The mandate is simple to describe but demanding to fulfil. We examine complaints about possible maladministration in EU institutions. We also act on our own initiative when systemic issues arise. We work to foster a culture of good administration — one grounded in transparency, integrity, respect for fundamental rights, and genuine public service.

The European Ombudsman does not replace the courts, does not  legislate, and does not govern. But it can do something essential in any democracy: it can help bring the administration closer to the citizen. It can identify shortcomings, propose solutions, encourage better practices, and remind — whenever necessary — that public power exists to serve citizens, and must always do so fairly.

At a time when many citizens feel that institutions are distant, complex, or hard to understand, that mission matters more than ever.

The European Union is a sophisticated legal, political, and institutional project. But for citizens, the questions are often much simpler: Was I heard? Did I get an answer? Was the decision clear? Was the process fair? Did the institution explain itself in clear language? Were my rights respected?

A good administration must answer these everyday questions. Trust in institutions isn't built only at historical political moments — it's built in ordinary interactions between citizens and administration.

Good administration is, in short, democracy in action. It is not a technical matter for experts; it is a basic condition of European citizenship.

When an institution responds in a reasonable time, explains its decisions, provides access to documents, avoids conflicts of interest, and treats everyone with fairness and respect, it strengthens democracy. When it falls short of those standards, public trust erodes.

It was with that conviction that I recently presented the 2025 Annual Report of the European Ombudsman — the first covering a full year of my mandate.

I can say with confidence that the European Union already has high standards of good administration. That said, the EU's growing responsibilities — in increasingly sensitive areas and in a political, social, and administrative environment very different from the past — have created new challenges, and these are reflected in the complaints we receive.

In 2025, our office recorded an increase in complaints of more than 50% , partly driven by the growing use of artificial intelligence. That rise led us to reorganise internally to maintain our standards of service to people who seek help.

Transparency remained the most common subject of our inquiries, accounting for 38% of the total. This was followed by complaints about service culture — including failures to respond — and cases concerning the proper handling of infringement procedures.

Transparency continues to be fundamental to public trust in the EU. Citizens increasingly expect timely and meaningful access to information, especially on matters that directly affect their lives.

The report also highlights that good administration faces new challenges. One of the most pressing is the use of artificial intelligence in public administration. We currently have three inquiries underway, and I expect more to follow. These are pioneering cases that will help the EU's administration adapt to this new reality.

My goal is not to discourage the use of AI, but to support the administration in using it transparently, ethically, and with effective human oversight.

Another significant topic in 2025 was urgent decision-making.

In an increasingly unstable geopolitical environment, and in the push to boost economic competitiveness, the EU has been simplifying legislation at a faster pace, often citing urgency as justification.

Let me be clear about one thing: the Ombudsman focuses exclusively on procedures. We do not question the merits of legislative simplification, nor whether urgency can legitimately be invoked.

The concern lies with the cumulative effect of these practices, and in the need to reaffirm that even in urgent situations, the legislative process cannot bypass basic procedural guarantees.

That is precisely what we examined in three inquiries conducted in 2025, for which we issued joint conclusions. In all three cases, we identified the same problem: the Commission did not sufficiently justify why the procedures were deemed urgent, nor did it adequately document the derogations that allowed it to bypass public consultations and impact assessments.

The Commission's response to our recommendations was constructive, and the inquiry is now in its final phase.

On ethics, European institutions must hold themselves to a high standard.

They must prevent conflicts of interest, enforce clear rules on revolving doors, ensure transparency in their dealings with interest groups, and protect the independence of public decision-making.

I often say that integrity is the armour of European institutions. But even the strongest armour needs regular maintenance and reinforcement.

That is why my first own-initiative inquiry focused on revolving doors in EU agencies. From that work — in which we analysed internal policies at 15 agencies and reviewed 54 individual cases — we identified an important set of good practices that will help agencies better prevent conflicts of interest and protect public trust.

The European Ombudsman must continue resolving individual cases, because that is where administrative justice becomes a reality. But we must also identify patterns, anticipate risks, and contribute to a European administration that is simpler, clearer, and closer to citizens.

With that in mind, I decided to launch a new inquiry on an issue that affects all of us: food safety.

Europe has one of the most robust food-safety systems in the world, but real challenges lie ahead. Concerns raised by academics and by the European Court of Auditors related to the rapid alert system for food prompted me  to examine its efficiency, accountability, and transparency.

Through the European Network of Ombudsmen — which I have the pleasure of coordinating — I have also invited national ombudsmen to conduct their own inquiries with the relevant national authorities. This matters because, in shared administrative procedures, the system is only as strong as its weakest link — and strength has to be demonstrated at every level, in every Member State.

I am confident this initiative will demonstrate the real value of our network, and how the European and national levels can genuinely reinforce one another.

Dear Chair,

Honourable Members of Parliament,

The European Ombudsman works independently — but not in isolation. To the contrary: independence enables a robust, constructive, and honest dialogue with EU institutions. It allows us to point to shortcomings without animosity, propose improvements without overstepping, and defend citizens without upsetting the institutional balance.

In that context, the European Parliament plays a central role — not only because it elects the Ombudsman, but it follows our work closely. National parliaments, too, are fundamental pillars of the European democratic ecosystem. They are spaces of representation, scrutiny, and proximity — indispensable partners in any serious reflection on the quality of public administration.

Being here today gives me the opportunity to affirm and deepen that connection.

In an international environment marked by uncertainty, polarisation, and declining trust in institutions, these questions take on even greater importance. Democracy is also defended through institutions that follow fair procedures, make transparent decisions, correct their mistakes, and above all, treat citizens with respect.

That is why I see the mandate of the European Ombudsman as a profoundly civic responsibility. My mission is to help ensure that the European Union is not only a Union of rules, policies, and institutions — but a Union of trust.

My presence here is also an invitation: to keep working together toward institutions that are more open, more accountable, and more human.

Institutions that do not fear scrutiny, because they understand that scrutiny strengthens democratic legitimacy.

Institutions that do not  see complaints as an inconvenience, but as opportunities to improve.

Institutions that know public trust is earned through the daily practice of fairness, transparency, and respect.

That is the commitment with which I carry out my mandate. And it is with that same commitment that I address the Assembly of the Portuguese Republic today — with pride, with a sense of responsibility, and with the conviction that good administration is one of the most tangible ways to honour democracy and serve citizens.

Thank you very much.