Former Hungarian President To Head EU’s Sports Diplomacy Advisory Group
- 12 Oct 2015 9:00 AM
Former Hungarian President and one-time head of the Hungarian Olympic Committee Pál Schmitt has been appointed to lead a high-level group of experts commissioned with evaluating the role of sport in the European Union’s foreign affairs and provide advice on how sport could contribute to reach the EU’s foreign policy goals.
The body was established upon the proposal of Tibor Navracsics, the Hungary’s European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, and held it first meeting on Thursday, at which Mr. Schmitt was elected chairman. The group is to prepare its report by next June.
In addition to the Hungarian Olympic champion, sports diplomat and President of the Republic, the group of experts is comprised of fourteen members, including acknowledged active and former athletes, academics, representatives of think thanks and media, personalities having exercised high-level responsibilities in the field of sport, representatives of major sport organisations from across Europe.
73-year-old Mr. Schmitt, a Hungarian Olympic fencer and former politician for the ruling Fidesz party, served as President of Hungary from 2010 to 2012. He resigned following an academic misconduct controversy concerning his doctoral thesis, submitted in 1992.
Source: hungarytoday.hu
Republished with permission
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