BRUSSELS — The EU’s former ombudsman slammed the “elitist” lack of transparency at the European Commission, arguing it was a threat to democracy. Emily O’Reilly, who served as European Ombudsman between 2013 and 2025, spoke at a press conference in Brussels on Monday to launch a pro-democracy initiative, Democracy27, of which she is a part. “You can’t have people in the buildings around here making decisions, making regulations and keeping all the information on which they’re basing their