Bjoern Seibert, the man behind the scenes who pulls the strings of the European Union

Against a blue background dotted with stars, reminiscent of the flag of the European Union (EU), a figure in a suit and tie appears, whose face is only partially visible. This is the desired “mystery effect”, because this barely sketched silhouette is that of Bjoern Seibert, the man who holds secretly “the power behind the throne of Queen Ursula von der Leyen,” according to Politico .

This week, the Brussels edition of the American media outlet is dedicating the cover of its magazine to the Commission President's chief of staff. A man unknown to the general public, but who is "the person to call to get things done," the English-language publication claims. Forty-five years old, married, father of two, tall and speaking perfect English, Seibert is a discreet figure in Brussels, Politico suggests in a profile about him . But make no mistake, the German has everything under control.

“Seibert runs the European Commission, an institution with 32,000 employees, as if it were an extension of his brain, monitoring everything from social media posts to mid-level staff appointments,” warns the Brussels-based media outlet. A loyal right-hand man to Ursula von der Leyen, Seibert knew the Commission President from her time as head of the German Defense Ministry.

Then, when the latter was appointed to her current position in 2019, she took Seibert with her. Since then, the man has been following all the files. According to some, by moving them forward and, according to others, by slowing down the machine through a desire to centralize everything. One thing is certain, however, “the man is incredibly influential ,” explains Phil Gordon, advisor to former US Vice President Kamala Harris, interviewed for this article. “No one understands how the EU works better than he does.”

Today, while voices are being raised timidly to criticize Seibert's excessive powers within the EU, they are struggling to be heard. And for good reason. "Of the twenty-five EU officials, diplomats, parliamentarians, and experts we contacted for this article, only three agreed to speak openly, and only one of those allowed himself to be critical," Politico reports. To justify their wish to remain anonymous, several people said they feared reprisals in their professional lives."

Not surprising from someone described as a “silent killer” by one of the interviewees working at the Commission. “Yet you’ve never heard of him?” concludes Politico . “That’s exactly what he wants.”