In this interview, Norbert Schwaiger, former Head of the Press Office of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, considers the careers and the work of the five Secretaries-General who, during his career, succeeded to the head of the General Secretariat: Christian Calmes, Nicolas Hommel, Niels Ersbøll, Jürgen Trumpf and Javier Solana.

In this interview, Norbert Schwaiger, former Head of the Press Office of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, comments on the benefits for the Member States, in particular for the small and for the new Member States, of being able to draw on the expertise of the Secretariat when they hold the Presidency.