Irish man Tony Murphy has been re-elected as president of the European Court of Auditors, the body that acts as a spending watchdog for the other European Union (EU) institutions.
Mr Murphy, (63) who is originally from Cabra, north Dublin, has been heading up the oversight body since late 2022, making him one of Ireland’s most senior EU officials.
The European Court of Auditors produces regular reports examining how other parts of the EU institutions are working, and whether the union’s €2 trillion budget is being well spent.
The oversight role has at times brought it into conflict with the European Commission, the union’s executive arm that proposed laws.
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Each EU state nominates one member to the court, with Mr Murphy representing Ireland since 2018.
The president of the Luxembourg-based watchdog is elected by its members every three years. Mr Murphy was the only name put forward when nominations closed this week and was elected for a second stint as president unopposed.
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Being re-elected to the job was a “great privilege”, Mr Murphy said in a statement on Thursday. “I take immense pride, as an Irishman from Cabra, in leading this EU institution. I am passionate about Irish representation in the EU,” he said.
He noted this meant he would still be leading the institution next year when Ireland takes over the rotating presidency of the council of the EU, a deal-making role charged with brokering compromises between national capitals.
Mr Murphy said the European Court of Auditors would have an important role to play contributing to the debate around the size and shape of the EU’s next seven-year budget, which will be negotiated over the next two years.
About 900 staff work for the European Court of Auditors. Mr Murphy, a qualified accountant, previously worked for the State spending watchdog, the Comptroller and Auditor General, and the European Commission’s internal audit unit.
