On Tuesday the 9th of November, Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly gave a Guest Lecture to EUCS and EUS students and staff where she spoke about her office´s role within the EU and their most recent endeavors.

The occasion opened with a short presentation by Dr. Anne Reichold who introduced the international study programs and was followed by a foreword from Dr. Uwe Puetter.

Ombudsman O'Reilly presented the most relevant aspects of her office´s work, highlighting the importance of an entity fighting for transparency and integrity within the EU institutions to, as she says, "keep the good guys good".

In much of her presentation, she explained and detailed some of the Ombudsman´s most recent and relevant cases - such as the BlackRock case - which are suggested by EU citizens as well as inquiries by the office´s own initiative.

Emily O'Reilly also remarked on the importance of her office´s work during the pandemic, which includes the investigation of the EU crisis response and those accountable for hampering it.

The session ended with a Q&A section where attendants could ask more in-depth questions about the presentation and the Ombudsman´s job in general.

Text by Valentina Schulz Fontealba