Brussels, 5 March 2024
The European Commission has decided today to appoint Alexander Winterstein as Director for ‘Political Communication and Services’ at the Commission’s Directorate-General for Communication (DG COMM). This department is responsible for communicating to the media and the public the political priorities of the Commission and EU policies, and it also keeps the Commission abreast of political developments and of trends in public opinion and the media. The date of effect will be determined later.
Alexander Winterstein has an extensive professional background spanning almost 30 years, including nearly 25 years at the Commission, and 11 years in different managerial roles in the field of political communication. He has played a leading role in shaping the Commission’s political communication towards the media, the public, and stakeholders in various roles, including as Deputy Chief Spokesperson. His career path has also equipped him with a proven track-record of inter-institutional coordination and robust management experience together with a well-developed political judgement.
Mr Winterstein, an Austrian national, is currently holding the position of Head of Unit for ‘Communications Policy’ at the Directorate-General for Competition. Previously, he was the Spokesperson of the Federal Government of Austria. Between 2015 and 2019, he held the position of Deputy Chief Spokesperson for the European Commission. Prior to that, he was Head of Unit for Communications and Interinstitutional Relations at the Directorate-General for Competition, and he also held different positions within the same department, including that of policy assistant to the Director-General. Besides his career in the Commission, Alexander Winterstein was a Visiting Fellow at Yale University for the academic year 2011/12. He was also a member of the Commission’s Task Force “Future of the Union” during the European Convention between 2002 and 2004.
Alexander Winterstein is a lawyer and holds a PhD in Law.
Source – EU Commission