Ioannis Ikonomou’s 21 Languages

As of March 2026, Greek translator Ioannis Ikonomou serves as the Chief Translator of the European Commission and is known for speaking 21 of the European Union’s 24 official languages. Because of his unusual linguistic range, he has also been entrusted with translating highly sensitive Chinese documents for the Commission. Ikonomou has said that Chinese is his favorite language, but he also considers it the most complicated he has studied.

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