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 Gradina (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-)
1995-999
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. and from 2000 Leader of her own list "Emma Bonino"
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- Commissioner for the Information Society and Media
Member of the Bureau of the Chamber of Deputies 1989-99,
Vice-President of the conservative, CSV. (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- 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. (b. 1953-).
2004 Commissioner without Portfolio attatched to the Commissioner for
Education and Culture Dalia Grybauskaitė (Lithuania)
2004- 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. (b. 1957-).
2004
Commissioner without Portfolio attatched to the
Commissioner
for Trade Danuta Hübner
(Poland)
2004- 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
becomming
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.
(b. 1949-)
2004- 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- Commissioner
for
Agriculture and Rural Development
Mariann Fischer Boel (Denmark)
Danish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 2001-04. (b. 1943-).
2004- Commissioner for Competition Nellie
Kroes
(The Netherlands)
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-
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- Commissioner for Health
Androula Vassiliou (Cyprus)
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-).
-------------------------
Presidency of the European Communities/European Union
1980 President of the Council of the European
Communities (Council of Ministers) Colette Flesch (July-Dececember)
She was Foreign Minister of Luxembourg.
1981 and 1986 Chairperson of the European Council Margaret Thatcher
(July-December)
She was Prime Minister of United Kingdom. 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.
2001 President of the Council of the European Union (Council of Ministers) Anna
Lindh (Sweden) (January-June)
She was Foreign Minister of Sweden and Headed the 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. The Council is
assisted by a General Secretariat, which is currently headed by Javier Solana,
the Secretary-General and High Representative for the Common Foreign and
Security Policy.The Council concludes, on behalf of the
Community and the Union, international agreements between the
EU and one or more states or international organisations, it co-ordinates the
actions of Member States and adopts measures in the area of police and judicial co-operation
in criminal matters.
2006 President of the Council of the European Union (Council of Ministers)
Ursula Plassnik (January-June)
The Austrian Foreign Minister he tends to stand out at diplomatic meetings due
to her great height; 190.5 centimeters tall.
2007 Chairperson of the European Council Angela Merkel (January-June)
German Federal Chancellor. 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.
Last update 22.04.08