Français
It is always useful to know the Curriculum Vitae of the persons that are going to make news with relation to most of the issues of relevance to our socio-economic category:
European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services
Michel Barnier, a French citizen, (born January 9th 1951) graduated from the École supérieure de commerce de Paris in 1972. He is a member of the Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP) in France and Vice-president of the European People’s Party (EPP). He served as a European Commissioner for regional policy when the College was chaired by Prof. Prodi from 1999 to 31 March 2004.
Mr. Barnier was named Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries of France in June 2007 but resigned in June 7, 2009 after being elected as an EMP.
Mr. Jonathan Faull, a British citizen, is going to be the new Director General of DG MARKT. Born in 1954, he studied at the Universities of Sussex and Geneva and at the College of Europe in Bruges. He is currently a Professor of Law at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Faull joined the European Commission in 1978. Before becoming Director General for Justice, Freedom and Security, he was appointed Director for Co-ordination, International Affairs and Relations with other Institutions of the Directorate General for Competition. He also served as Deputy Director General of Competition responsible for State Aid, Chief Spokesman and Director General Press and Communication.
European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy
Mr. John Dalli, a Maltese citizen (born October 5th 1948) is Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants (UK); Member of the British Institute of Management (UK); Member of the National Association of Accountants (USA); and Member of the Institute of Management (MALTA). He held various high level posts in financial administration and general management in Malta and Brussels. Mr Dalli has also practised as a Management Consultant.
He was first elected to the House of Representatives of Malta in 1987 with the Nationalist Party and then re-elected five successive elections. He has served as Parliamentary Secretary for Industry (1987–1990), Minister of Economic Affairs (1990–92), Minister of Finance (1992–1996, 1998–2004) and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Investment Promotion of the Republic of Malta (2004).
European Commissioner for Industry and Enterprise Policy
Mr. Antonio Tajanig, Italian citizen, (born 4 August, 1953) graduated in law from the University of Rome La Sapienza. He was elected Member of the European Parliament with the Forza Italia from 2004 to 2008 and sat at the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET). On 8 May, 2008 he was appointed European Commissioner for Transport. He holds the position of Vice-president of the European People’s Party (EPP).
European Commissioner for Competition
Mr. Joaquín Almunia, a Spanish citizen, (Born in Bilbao 17 June 1948) graduated in Law and Economics at the University of Deusto, and completed follow-up studies at the École Pratique des Hautes Études in Paris and the “Senior Managers in Government” program at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Mr. Almunia was an economist at the Council Bureau of the Spanish Chambers of Commerce in Brussels from 1972 to 1975. He served as Minister of Employment and Social Security of Spain from 1982 to 1986 and Minister of Public Administration from 1986 to 1991, and he was from 1994 to 1997 spokesperson of PSOE (Socialist Workers’ Party). He first joined the European Commission on the 26 April 2004 and was re-appointed ever since.
European Commissioner for Trade
Mr. Karel De Gucht, Belgian citizen, (Born January 27, 1954) graduated in Law at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (1976). He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs for Belgium from 2004 to 2009, and as a member of the European Parliament from 1980 to 1994. Mr. De Gucht is the former Chairman of the Flemish Liberals and Democrats party (VLD). He was appointed as European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid in 2009.
European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth
Androulla Vassiliou, a Cypriot citizen, (born 30 November 1943) graduated in Law from the Middle Temple Inn of Court, London and in International affairs from the London Institute of World Affairs. Mrs. Androulla Vassiliou practiced Law in Cyprus for twenty years (1968-1988) but gave up her legal practice in 1988, upon her husband’s election to the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus. In 1996 she was elected Member of the Cyprus House of Representatives with the Movement of United Democrats, and was re-elected for a second of five year term in 2001. She has served as Vice-president of the European Liberal Democrats and Reform Party (ELDR) (2001-2006) and as well as the chairperson of the European Liberal Women’s Network. She was named Commissioner for Health in February 2008.
European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
László Andor, a Hungarian citizen, (born 3 June1966) served as member of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development board (EBRD), representing Hungary, since 2005. He was a member of the Economic Policy Advisory Board to former Prime Minister of Hungary Ferenc Gyurcsany from 2004 to 2005. Mr. Andor has an academic background in economics and has studied in the US and the UK. Before joining the EBRD’s board in 2005, he had worked at Politikatörténeti Intézet, a political research institute in Hungary.
European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship
Viviane Reding, a citizen of Luxemburg, (born 27 April 1951) obtained a doctorate in human sciences at the University of Sorbonne and began a professional career as a journalist for the Luxemburger Wort, one of the leading newspapers in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. From 1986 to 1998, she served as President of the Luxembourg Union of Journalists. She is the current Commissioner for Information Society and Media and is affiliated with the European People’s Party (EPP).
European Commissioner for Research and Innovation
Máire Geoghegan, a citizen of the republic of ireland (born 5 September 1950) qualified as a teacher from Carysfort College in Blackrock. She previously served as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway West constituency from 1975 to 1997. Mrs. Geoghegan was Ireland’s Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications from1992 to 1993 and as Minister for Justice from 1993 to 94. She is the current representative of Ireland in the European Court of Auditors and is a member of ELDR.