The European Union holds elections for its parliament every five years. After forming a government (the European Commission), the union of 27 countries launches all sorts of initiatives, ranging from those related to trade to the more ideological.

One of the issues that had been left unresolved since 2024 was the promotion of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) outside the EU’s borders. The last Special Envoy was Frans Van Dalen, a Belgian who took up the post in 2022 and ended his mission when the elections took place two years ago.

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Prior to that, the European Commission had left this initiative dormant for almost three years. The previous representative, the Greek Christos Stylianides, remained in the post for only five months, even less than the time the EU had taken to find a suitable candidate.

Now, the experienced conservative Irish MEP and journalist Mairead McGuinness has been appointed to the post of Special Envoy for the Promotion of FoRB Outside the European Union. Previously, she served as Vice-President of the European Parliament (first entered the European Parliament in 2014) and as European Commissioner for Financial Affairs. A few months ago, she withdrew her candidacy for the presidency of the Republic of Ireland for health reasons.

The role reports to the EU’s Committee on Home Affairs. “The EU is committed to promoting and protecting human rights at home and abroad … this role is essential to promoting peaceful and open societies”, the European Commission has stated.

The mission to promote religious freedom beyond borders achieved its greatest success under Jan Figel’, former Deputy Prime Minister of Slovakia. He was the first to hold this post and did so between 2016 and 2020, launching numerous international initiatives.

Long delays may indicate low priority

Across all its bodies, the European Union emphasises that one of its core priorities is to promote human rights and fundamental freedoms for people both within and outside the Union.

But over the past six years, groups monitoring religious persecution and Christian politicians have frequently lamented that actions have not matched the EU’s professed interest in religious freedom outside Europe.

“While the Commission repeatedly affirmed its commitment to promoting freedom of religion or belief, the prolonged vacancy raised concerns about the priority given to this issue,” said on 27 March the European Christian Political Party following the announcement of McGuiness’s appointment.

The group of MEPs who share a Christian faith has expressed its “full support” for the new special envoy. They “urge the European Commission to equip her with the necessary mandate and resources, and prays for an effective and fruitful mission at a time when freedom of religion is increasingly under pressure worldwide”.

At last! And sorely needed: a new EU envoy for religious freedom is being appointed. The @EU_Commission has just appointed Mairead McGuinness. There is plenty of work for her worldwide, given the difficult situation facing 388 million persecuted Christians..https://t.co/AmOMn4l1kf

— Bert-Jan Ruissen (SGP EP) (@hjaruissen) 26 March 2026

Bert-Jan Ruissen, a Dutch MEP of the Reformed Christian faith, was one of those who has most strongly insisted on the need for the EU to “finally” appoint someone to the post. “She will have a lot of work,” he emphasised, citing the figure of 380 million Christians who suffer some form of persecution worldwide.

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