title: Mark Higgie
text: # Mark Higgie
  
  Mark William Christopher Higgie (born 26 July 1957) is a former Australian diplomat, political advisor, and intelligence analyst. Higgie is now a regular columnist on European affairs, mainly in the Australian edition of The Spectator. He was the Australian Ambassador to the European Union and NATO, Belgium, and Luxembourg between 2014 and 2017. He previously served as international advisor to the Hon Tony Abbott MP, both when Abbott was Leader of the Opposition (2010–2013) and when he was Prime Minister (2013–2014).
  
  ## Background and career
  
  Higgie graduated from the Australian National University in 1981 with a BA (Hons) in Russian and Political Science; and in 1987 was awarded a PhD from the same institution for a thesis on nationality policy in the Soviet Union, East Germany and Yugoslavia. While doing research for his PhD in 1982, he undertook an internship at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty at its then Munich headquarters.
  
  Higgie joined the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1984; and served as First Secretary later Counsellor Vienna (1992–95) and Third later Second Secretary Belgrade (1985–87).
  
  In 1988–89 Higgie served as policy advisor to shadow foreign minister, John Spender QC.
  
  Higgie served for three years as the representative in London of the Office of National Assessments, the Australian Government’s intelligence assessment agency on international affairs. In this role, Higgie was the Australian representative on the UK Joint Intelligence Committee.
  
  Higgie served as Australia’s ambassador in Budapest 1998–2001. At the conclusion of his posting then Hungarian president Ferenc Mádl, accompanied by prime minister Viktor Orbán, awarded him the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, the country's second-highest honour, for services to Hungary-Australia relations.
  
  Higgie served as international advisor to the Hon Tony Abbott MP, both when Abbott was Leader of the Opposition (2010–2013) and when he was Prime Minister (2013–2014). Together with the relevant shadow ministers and their staff, he coordinated the Liberal-National coalition's international, defence and immigration policies (including foreign affairs, trade, veterans' affairs and ethnic affairs) at its campaign headquarters in Melbourne at both the 2010 and 2013 federal elections.
  
  In the 2013 national power survey of the Financial Review, Higgie was listed fourth on its Defence Strategies sectoral list. Greg Sheridan, foreign editor at The Australian, to whom Higgie has been seen as close, described Higgie as a 'highly regarded professional' with good connections among Coalition politicians.
  
  He was Australia’s ambassador in Brussels (to the EU, NATO, Belgium and Luxembourg) between 2014 and 2017. Since concluding his posting in Brussels, he has been a regular columnist on international affairs issues for the Australian edition of The Spectator, which designated him as its Europe Correspondent in 2019. He has also contributed articles to the British edition of The Spectator, The Australian, The Telegraph, Hungarian Review, the Royal United Services Institute (London) newsletter and XpatLoop Budapest. In 2019 Higgie wrote an article published in The Australian revealing his discovery that he was partly of aboriginal ancestry on his father’s side
  
  