Margot Wallström

Margot Wallström
European Commissioner for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy
In office 22 November 2004 – 9 February 2010
President	José Manuel Barroso
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Maroš Šefčovič (Inter-Institutional Relations and Administration)
First Vice President of the European Commission
In office 22 November 2004 – 9 February 2010
President	José Manuel Barroso
Preceded by	Loyola de Palacio
Succeeded by	Catherine Ashton
European Commissioner for the Environment
In office 13 September 1999 – 11 November 2004
President	Romano Prodi
Preceded by	Ritt Bjerregaard
Succeeded by	Stavros Dimas
Personal details
Born	(1954-09-28) 28 September 1954 (age 57) Skellefteå, Sweden
Political party	Social Democratic Party
Signature

Margot Elisabeth Wallström (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈmaɾːɡɔt ˈvalːstɾœm]) (born 28 September 1954 in Skellefteå)^[1] is a Swedish social democratic politician and diplomat, currently holding the post of Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) on Sexual Violence in Conflict. Prior to this, she served as European Commissioner for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy. She was also the first of five vice-presidents of the 27-member Barroso Commission.

Political career

Wallström, a high school graduate, lacking academic degrees,^[2] has had a long career in politics, in the Swedish parliament, the Swedish government and in the European Commission. She was Environment Commissioner from 1999–2004 and in the Swedish government she was Minister for Consumer Affairs, Women and Youth in 1988–1991, Minister for Culture in 1994–1996 and Minister for Social Affairs in 1996–1998. Wallström has also worked as the CEO of a regional TV network in Sweden and before taking up her appointment as Commissioner she was the executive vice-president of Worldview Global Media in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Wallström is married and has two children.

In 2004, Wallström became the first member of the European Commission to operate a blog. The comments section of her site quickly became a hotspot for arguments concerning the policies of the European Union. After the rejection of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe\European Constitution by French and Dutch voters, Wallström pushed forward her "plan D" (for democracy, dialogue and debate) to reconnect Citizens with the Union.^[3] Her work on such platforms, including the backing of the oneseat.eu petition, has given her a good reputation in some quarters, even being dubbed "the Citizens Commissioner"^[4] – but has earned her names like "the Propaganda Commissioner" as well from political opponents. The Economist listed her among the worst commissioners in 2009.

Recent events

Following the 2006 election, in which the Social Democratic Party lost power, former Prime Minister Göran Persson announced his withdrawal from politics in March 2007. Wallström was regarded as the favourite candidate to succeed Persson as Social Democratic party leader,^[5] but made clear that she did not wish to be considered for the position.^[6][7] The post instead went to Mona Sahlin.

Immediately after the election of Mona Sahlin as party leader, Wallström accepted a membership in a group working to develop political strategies for the upcoming election to the European Parliament. The membership in this group was considered by Swedish liberal Carl B Hamilton (and later also Fredrik Reinfeldt) to constitute a breach of the oath every member of the European Commission gives, which states that any member of the commission should work for the community's best interest with no influence from politicians. On 19 March, the vice chief spokesman of the European Commission, Pia Ahrenkilde-Hansen, stated that her new assignment was not in conflict with her commissioner position. The chief spokesman, Mikolaj Dowgielewicz, agreed.^[8][9]

In December 2006, Wallström was voted the most popular woman in Sweden, beating royals and athletes in a survey carried out by ICA-kuriren and Sifo. The previous year, 2005, she was second place. Wallström was modest in response stating that "it might be because I'm so far away".^[10]

On 16 November 2007, Margot Wallström, became Chair of the Council of Women World Leaders Ministerial Initiative. This position was previously held by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright.

On 31 January 2010 Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, announced at the African Union summit in Ethiopia his intention to nominate Wallström as his first ever Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict.^[11] As a reaction, Wallström said that she felt "honoured" and "humble" to have been chosen for the job,^[12] which she started in April 2010.

On 18 September 2010, Wallström confirmed that when her assignment with the UN ends, in February 2012, she will become the chairman of Lund University in Sweden.^[13]

Curriculum vitae

As of 2007^[14]

Political career:

• 2010–present Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) on Sexual Violence in Conflict
• 2004–2010 First Vice President of the European Commission for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy
• 1999–2004 Member of the European Commission for the Environment (Prodi Commission)
• 1996–1998 Minister for Social Affairs
• 1994–1996 Minister for Culture
• 1993– Member of the Executive Committee of the Swedish Social Democratic Party
• 1988–1991 Minister of Civil Affairs (Consumer Affairs, Women and Youth)
• 1979–1985 Member of Parliament
• 1974–1977 Ombudsman, Swedish Social Democratic Youth League

Employment:

• 1998–1999 Executive Vice-president, Worldview Global Media, Colombo, Sri Lanka
• 1993–1994 CEO, TV Värmland (Regional Television Network)
• 1986–1987 Senior Accountant, Alfa Savings bank, Karlstad
• 1977–1979 Accountant, Alfa Savings Bank, Karlstad

Education and other:

• 2007 Foreword to Al Gore's Swedish translation of the book An Inconvenient Truth.^[15]
• 2005 Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree, University of Massachusetts, Lowell
• 2004 Book (together with MEP Göran Färm): The People's Europe or Why is it so hard to love the EU?^[16]
• 2004 Honorary doctor at Mälardalen University, Sweden
• 2004 IAIA Global Environmental Award
• 2002 European Commissioner of the Year (by European Voice)
• 2001 Honorary doctor at Chalmers University, Sweden
• 1973 Graduated from high

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Margot Wallström

• Archived website, The members of the Barrosa Commission (2004–2009)
• Archived website as Commissioner for the Environment

Footnotes

v t e Barroso Commission I (2004–2009) Joaquín Almunia · Catherine Ashton6 · José Manuel Barroso1 · Jacques Barrot2 · Joe Borg · Karel De Gucht9 · Stavros Dimas · Benita Ferrero-Waldner · Ján Figeľ10 · Franco Frattini2, 5 · Mariann Fischer Boel · Dalia Grybauskaitė7 · Danuta Hübner8 · Siim Kallas2 · László Kovács · Neelie Kroes · Meglena Kuneva3 · Markos Kyprianou4 · Peter Mandelson6 · Charlie McCreevy · Louis Michel9 · Leonard Orban3 · Andris Piebalgs · Janez Potočnik · Viviane Reding · Olli Rehn · Paweł Samecki8 · Maroš Šefčovič10 · Algirdas Šemeta7 · Vladimír Špidla · Antonio Tajani2, 5 · Androulla Vassiliou4 · Günter Verheugen2 · Margot Wallström2 1 = President. 2 = Vice President. 3 = Served from 1 January 2007. 4 = Vassiliou replaced Kyprianou on 3 March 2008. 5 = Tajani replaced Frattini on 18 June 2008. 6 = Ashton replaced Mandelson on 3 October 2008. 7 = Šemeta replaced Grybauskaitė on 1 July 2009. 8 = Samecki replaced Hübner on 4 July 2009. 9 = De Gucht replaced Michel on 17 July 2009. 10 = Šefčovič replaced Figeľ on 1 October 2009.