Margaritis Schinas is a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center. He also leads the Chair on Strategic Autonomy at the Comillas Pontifical University, in Madrid. 

Schinas is the former European Commission vice-president for promoting the European way of life, having served in the role from 2019 to 2024. During his tenure as vice-president, Schinas was tasked by President Ursula Von der Leyen to coordinate the Commission’s policies on migration, security, health, education, culture, and skills, promoting integration and solidarity across the European Union. He was the architect of major European initiatives such as the EU Pact for Migration and Asylum and the COVID-19 vaccination program. 

Schinas began his career in the European Commission in 1990 holding various roles before being elected as a member of the European Parliament in 2007. He later returned to the European Commission and became the chief spokesperson under President Jean-Claude Juncker from 2014 to 2019.

Born in Thessaloniki, Greece, Schinas holds a degree in law from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, a master’s degree in European administrative studies from the College of Europe in Bruges, and a MSc in public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.