Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
European Union
See also European Parliament
1989-95 Commissioner for Taxes, Revenue Harmonization
and Consumer Policies Christiane Scrivener
(France)
French 1976-78 Secretary of State
of Trade for Consumers' protection (b. 1925- ).
1989-92
Commissioner for
Labour, Social
Affairs and Industry
Vasso
Papandreau
(Greece)
Greek
Deputy Minister 1985
and 1986-88 Alternate Minister of Industry
1988-89 Minister of External Trade,
1996-99 Minister of
Development,
1999-2001 Minister of Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization
and from
2001 Minister of Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works.
(b. 1956-).
1995-99 Commissioner for Immigration,
Interior and Juridical Affairs, Relations with the ombudsmand, Financial Control
and Anti-fraud Measures Anita Gradin (Sweden)
Swedish State Secretary of Family Affairs 1967-73,
Minister of Immigration and Equality in the Ministry of Labour
1982-86, Minister of External Trade and Europe in
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1986-91
and Ambassador to Austria, Slovenia, The
International Atomic Agency and the United Nations body for Industrial
Development 1994-95. (b. 1933-).
1995-99 Commissioner for Science, Research, Education and
Youth
Édith Cresson
(France)
French
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
1981-83,
Minister of External Trade
1983-86,
Minister of Industry
1984-86,
Minister of European Affairs
1988-90
and
1991-92
Prime Minister.
In march 1999 she was one of the contributing factors in the downfall of the
EU-Commission as she refused the step down after a rapport had demonstrated that
she was responsible of nepotism and mismanagement. (b. 1934-).
1995-99 Commissioner for Environment and Atomic Security
Ritt Bjerregård (Denmark)
Danish Minister of Education 1973
and 1975-78, Minister of
Social Affairs 1979-82 and
2000-01 Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries.
Chairperson 1982 and 1987-91 of the Parliamentary Group of the Social Democrats.
(b. 1941-).
1995-99
Commissioner for Regional
policies, Relations with the Committee of the Regions
and the Cohesion Fund Monika Wulf-Mathies (Germany)
German trade union leader until 1989. From
1999 Advisor in the Office of the Federal Chancellor and later a mangager of the
German Post. (b. 1942-)
1995-99
Commissioner
for Fisheries,
Consumer Policy and the
European Community Humanitarian Office
Emma Bonino (Italy)
Secretary of the Parliament Group 1976-78,
Deputy Parliamentary Leader 1979,
President 1991-93 and 1993-95 Secretary General (Party Leader)
of of Partito Radicale, Presidential Candidate
1999, Leader of her own list Lista Bonino 2000-01 and later Minister of
European Affairs and 2013-14 Foreign Minister
1999-2004 Vice-President of the Commission
in charge of Relations with the European Parliament
and Commissioner of Transport and Energy
Loyola de Palacio del Valle-Lersundi (Spain)
Deputy Spokesperson for the Partido Popular Group in Spanish Congress
1989-1996, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and
Food 1996-99 and 1999 Member of
the European Parliament and head of the Spanish delegation in the European
Parliament.
Died of cancer, and lived (1950-2006)
1999-2004 Commissioner for
Education
and Culture Viviane Reding
(Luxembourg)
2004-14
Commissioner for the Information Society and Media
2009-14
Vice-President of the Commission and Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights
and Citizenship
Member of the Bureau of the Chamber of Deputies 1989-99,
Vice-President of the conservative, CSV and MEP from 2014.
(b. 1951-).
1999-2004 Commissioner for the Budget
Michaele Schreyer (Germany)
Leading member of the German Green Party, Minister for
Urban Development and Environmental Protection in the State Government (Senate)
of Berlin 1989-90 and Member of
the Presidency of the Berlin Parliament 1991-95.
(b. 1951-).
1999-2004 Commissioner for Environment Margot
Wallström (Sweden)
2004-10 1. Vice-President of the Commission
in charge of Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy
Swedish Minister of Civil Affairs (Consumer Affairs,
Women and Youth) 1988-1991, Minister of Culture
1994-1996 and 1996-1998 Minister of Social Affairs.
2006 she said no to be nominated as candidate for the post of Chairperson of the
Swedish Social Democrats. (b. 1954-).
1999-2004 Commissioner for
Employment and Social Affairs Anna Diamantopouluos (Greece)
Greek Deputy Minister for Development with industry
portfolio (privatisation, industrial restructuring)
1996-1999, Former Civil Servant and MP and again from 2004. (b. 1959-).
2004 Commissioner without Portfolio attatched to the
Commissioner for Agriculture,
Fisheries and Rural Development Sandra Kalniete (Latvia)
Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs 2002-04. She was Deputy Chairman and of Latvian Popular Front 1988-90, Chief of State Protocol, Deputy Foreign
Minister 1990-93, Ambassador to
the United Nations in Geneva 1993-97 to Ambassador to France 1997-2002 and 2000-2002
also to UNESCO. Not reappointed by the Latvian Government. Presidential
Candidate 2007. (b. 1953-).
2004
Commissioner without Portfolio attatched to the Commissioner for
Education and Culture
Dalia Grybauskaitė (Lithuania)
2004-09
Commissioner
for Financial
Programming and Budget
Lithuanian
Minister of Finance from 2001. Before that she was
Vice-Minister of Finance
1999-2000
and Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs
2000-01 and Lithuanian President from
2009 and President of the European Council
in 2014. (b. 1957-).
2004 Commissioner without Portfolio attatched to the
Commissioner
for Trade
Danuta Hübner
(Poland)
2004-09 Commissioner
for Regional Policy
Polish Minister
of European Affairs from 2003.
Former
Under-Secretary
of State of Industry and Trade, Minister and Head of the Chancellery of the
President of the Republic, 2000-01 she was Assistant Secretary General of the
United Nations
before
becoming
State Secretary in the Chancellery of the President in Charge of Social Affairs
in
1995-2000
and First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Secretary in Charge of
European Integration
2001-03.
Resigned to become MEP in 2009. (b. 1949-)
2004-10 Commissioner for External Relations and European
Neighbourhood Policy Dr. Benita Maria Ferrero-Waldner
(Austria)
Career diplomat, 1993 Minister and Assistant Chief of Protocol of the
Foreign Ministry, 1994-1995 Assistant Secretary General of the United Nation
and Chief of Protocol. 1995-2000 Minister of State and since
2000 Minister of Foreign Affairs, in 2000 Chairperson of
the Ministerial Council of OSCE and 2004 Unsuccessful Presidential candidate.
(b. 1948-).
2004-10
Commissioner
for
Agriculture and Rural Development
Mariann Fischer Boel (Denmark)
Danish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 2001-04. (b. 1943-).
2004-10
Commissioner for Competition Nellie
Kroes
(The Netherlands)
2010-14
Vice-President of the EU-Commission and
Commissioner for the Digital Agenda
Dutch Member of parliament for VVD 1971-77, State Secretary 1977-81 and Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management
1982-89, President of Nijmrode University 1991-2000 and member
of a number of boards of major Dutch companies. (b.
1941-).
2004
Designate
Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union
Ingrīda
Ūdre (Latvia)
From 1998 Co-Chairperson and 1998-99 Vice-Chairperson of the Saeima Fracion
of the New Party,
before becoming leader of
Leader Union of Greens and Farmers, and
it's Deputy
Parliamentary Group Chairperson 2002-04. In
1999 she was both Minister of Economics and Presidential Candidate and since 2002
Chairperson of the Saeima. Her nomination met with severe critic in both Latvia
and the European Parliament and she was later asked to withdraw her nomination. (b. 1958-)
2007-10
Commissioner
for Consumer Protection
Meglena Kuneva (Bulgaria)
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chief Negotiator for the negotiations
with the EU 2001-02
and Minister of European Affairs 2002-06. (b. 1957-).
2008-10 Commissioner for Health
Androula Vassiliou (Cyprus)
2010-14
Commissioner for Education,
Culture, Multilingualism and Youth
Studied law in London and headed a private law firm 1968-1988
until her husband, Dr. George Vassiliou, was elected President of the Republic,
engaged in a number of associations, MP 1996-2006, Vice President of the
European Liberal Democrats and Reform Party 2001-06. (b. 1943-).
2008-10 Commissioner
for Trade Baroness Ashton of Upholland
(United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
2010-14
1. Vice-President of the EU-Commission and High Representative of the Union for
Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (of the Council of Ministers of the EU)
Catherine Ashton has been a
Baroness from 1999,
Parliamentary
Under-Secretary of State of Education and Skills 2001-04, Parliamentary Under-Secretary
of Constitutional Affairs 2004-06 and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs 2006-07,
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council 2007-08.
(b. 1956-).
2009-10 Designate
Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Rumiana Jeleva (Bulgaria)
Member of
the European Parliament 2007-09 and Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs 2009-10
She withdrew after critique against her candidature, and also resigned as Foreign
Minister. (b. 1969-).
2010-14 Commissioner
for Research, Innovation and Science
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn (Ireland)
MP 1975-97, Parliamentary Secretary of Industry and Energy 1977-79, Minister of the Gaeltacht
1979-81,
Minister of Youth and Sports, Deputy President of Fíanna Faíl 1979-81, Minister of State of the Taoiseach with Responsibility
as Co-ordinator of Government Policy and for European Questions 1987-91, Minister of Transport, Communication and Tourism
1992-93, Minister of Justice 1993-94 and Member of the European Court of
Auditors 1999-2009. (b. 1945-)
Political Spokesperson of Det
Konservative Folkeparti 1989-90, Minister of Environment
2004-07, Minister of Nordic Cooperation 2005-07, Minister of Climate and Energy
2007-09 and Minister for the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in 2009,
When Lene Espersen became party leader in 2008 it was agreed that she
was to take over the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2010, but instead she became
EU-Commissioner. (b. 1961-).
2010-14 Commissioner for Maritime Affairs
and Fisheries Maria Damanaki (Greece)
MP for the
Communists and Synaspismos 1977-93 and 1996-2006, Chairperson of the Synasprimos
(Left Alliance) 1989-93, MP for PASOK from 2006. (b. 1953-).
2010-14 Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response
Kristalina Georgieva (Bulgaria)
2014-16
Vice-President of the Commission for Budget and Human Resources
Former Vice-President of the World Bank and CEO of the
bank from 2017, and Candidate for
UN Secretary General in 2016.
2010-14 Commissioner
for Home Affaris
Cecilia Malmström (Sweden)
2014- Commissioner for Trade
Member of the European Parliament since 1999, and of the Parliament 2002-06
and Minister of European Affairs in the Office of the Prime Minister from 2006.
(b. 1968-).
2014 Interim Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and
Citizenship Martine Reicherts (Luxembourg)
Worked with the European
Commission as a high ranking civil servant since the 1980s.
(b. 1957-)
2014- Vice-President of the European Commission,
High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Federica Mogherini
(Italy)
Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2014.
2014- Commissioner for Competition Margrethe
Vestager (Denmark)
Leader of the Social Liberals 2007-14, Minister of
Education 1998-2001 and Vice-Premier and Minister of Interior and Economy
2011-14.
2014- Commissioner
for the Internal Market, Industry Entreprepreneurship and Small and Mediumsized
Entreprises
Elżbieta Bieńkowska
(Poland)
Minister of Regional Development
2007-14 and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Construction and
Maritime Economy
2013-14.
2014- Commissioner
for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Vera Jourová (Czech Republic)
Deputy Minister 2004-06 and Minister
of Regional Development from 2014, First
Vice-Chairperson of ANO from 2013 and MP from the same year. Former Social
Democrat. (b. 1964-).
2014- Comissioner for Employment,
Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility Marianne Thyssen
(Belgium)
Member of the European Parliament from 1991, Chairperson of the
CD&V the Flemish Christian Democrats and candidate for Prime Minister in 2010.
Also Vice-Chairperson of the European People's Party.
2014-
Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Creţu (Romania)
Former Senator and MEP from 2007. (b
1967-).
2014- Commissioner for
Transport Violeta
Bulc (Slovenia)
Minister without
portfolio for Development in 2014.
2014 Designate Vice-President of the Commission
for Energy Union
Alenka Bratušek (Slovenia)
Former Minister of Economy and Prime Minister
2013-14. Withdrew her candidature after the European Parliament rejected to
confirm her.
-------------------------
Presidency of the European
Communities - the European Union
The primary
purpose of the European Council - Council of Ministers - is to act as one of the
two chambers of the EU's legislative branch, the other chamber being the
European Parliament. It also holds, jointly with the Parliament, the budgetary
power of the Union and has greater control than the Parliament over the more
intergovernmental areas of the EU, such as foreign policy and macroeconnomic
co-ordination. Finally, before the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, it
formally held the executive power of the EU which it conferred upon the European
Commission
1981 and 1986
President of the Council of the European Communities Margaret Thatcher
(July-December)
Prime Minister of United Kingdom 1979-90. The Council is the supreme authority
and central decision-making body of the European Union. Bringing together
the Heads of State and Government and the President of the European Commission,
it embodies the highest political authority of the Member States and of the
European Community. Itl generally meets four times a year
2007
President of the Council of the European Union Angela Merkel (January-June)
German Federal Chancellor since 2005. The European Council meets at European summits at
about four times per year. The task as President of the assembled European
Council, is similarly performed by the head of government or head of state of
the member state holding the Presidency. The President is primarily responsible
for preparing and chairing Council meetings, and has no executive powers.
2012
President of the Council of the European Union Helle Thorning-Schmidt (January-June)
Danish Prime Minister from 2011 and Chairperson of the
Social Democrats from 2009. (b. 1966-)
2014
President of the Council of the European Union
Dalia Grybauskaitė (January-June)
Lithuanian President from 2009 and former European Commissioner.
Chairperson of the Council of General Affairs
(Foreign Ministers of the member states)
This Council, which is primarily a
legislative body. It shares legislative competence with the European Commission
and the European Parliament in matters relating to the European Community. The
General Affairs and External Relations Council has a coordinating and initiating
role in respect of the other eight Council configurations.
1980 Colette Flesch
(Luxembourg)
1996 Susanna Agnelli (Italy)
1999 Tarja Halonen (Finland)
2001 Anna Lindh (Sweden)
2006 Ursula Plassnik (Austria)
2012 Erato Kozakou-Markoullis (Cyprus)
2014
Last update 01.11.16