Ombudswoman Lora Vidović and Deputy Ombudswoman Lidija Lukina Kezić participated at the annual European Network of Ombudsmen Conference held in Bruxelles on 19 and 20 June. The conference, organised by the European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly, was dedicated to the fallout for citizen rights from Brexit and from increased ‘populism’ in Europe.

“If 2016 was a year of populism, can 2017 be a year of pushback of populism?” – asked O’Reilly in the opening speech. She emphasised transparency as crucial element in building citizens trust in institutions and their work.

“Ombudsmen keep us on our toes: they correct our mistakes and have structural influence on our policies”, noted European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans in his keynote speech.

During the panel on current and future challenges for Ombudsmen institutions, Ombudswoman Vidović noted how, in order to create a positive effect on the protection of human rights, it is not sufficient to send a recommendation. „We have to be present, go out there and talk to local and regional authorities“, said Vidović. Being proactive is also important in communication with citizens. “Our job is to give voice to the voiceless and we should not wait for complaints to arrive, but need to reach out to vulnerable groups“, said Vidović.

The Ombudswoman also chaired a working group on maintaining good administration standards in times of reduced resources, where she pointed out to prioritisation as key.

The annual conference brought together over 90 national and regional ombudsmen from all over Europe, MEPs, EU officials, organisations and other interested participants.