Christian Leffler
Former Deputy Secretary-General of the EEAS and current Chair of the Board of Advisers of International IDEA
Christian Leffler served as Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) until his retirement in March 2020 and is the current Chair of the Board of Advisers of International IDEA. Previously, he was Managing Director for the Americas at the EEAS and Deputy Director General at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Development. Christian Leffler began his career in the Swedish Foreign Service in 1980, with postings in Cairo and Paris, and later worked on Sweden’s EU accession in Brussels. He joined the European Commission in 1996 as Commission “Antici” and Head of the unit overseeing relations with the Council of Ministers. He later held key roles, including Deputy Head of Chris Patten’s office (External Relations Commissioner), Director for Middle East and South Mediterranean at DG External Relations, and Head of Cabinet for Vice President Margot Wallström. In 2010, he became Deputy Director General of DG Development before joining the newly created EEAS. Leffler holds a degree from the London School of Economics and pursued doctoral studies at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva.
All Sessions by Christian Leffler
Session 6: After the EU elections - what's next for EU support to democracy globally?
The European Parliament elections marked the beginning of a new term and ushered in a renewed EU leadership tasked with driving the EU agenda for the next five years. Representatives from various EU institutions will share their perspectives on the emerging priorities and focus areas. They will discuss how the incoming European Commission and newly elected European Parliament can translate these priorities into concrete actions that strengthen democracy.
