Passing the baton

Abstract

Six years ago the board of EUPHA conferred on me the privilege of becoming editor in chief, in succession to Per-Gunnar Svensson, our founding editor. I did so on the condition that my tenure would be limited to three years. Six years later, I am finally handing over this task to my successor, Professor Johan Mackenbach. I could not wish for a more worthy successor. Johan is one of Europe’s leading public health researchers. He has contributed enormously to our understanding of the determinants of the health of Europeans in very many ways and he shares my commitment to the added value of comparative research, taking advantage of the rich diversity of health and health policy that exists in our continent. I will not, however, be escaping entirely as I have agreed to stay on as one of the co-editors and I look forward to continuing to work with Johan and with my colleagues who have done so much to support m