President Jean-Claude Juncker Name Marianne Thyssen Residence Oud-Heverlee, Belgium | Succeeded by Wouter Beke Preceded by Wouter Beke (Acting) Role Belgian Politician | |
Preceded by Laszlo Andor (Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion) Full Name Marianne Leonie Petrus
Thyssen Born 24 July 1956 (age 67)
Sint-Gillis-Waas, Belgium ( 1956-07-24 ) Alma mater Catholic University of Leuven Education Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Political party Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams Profiles | ||
Commissioner Hearings: MEPs grill Thyssen and Creţu
Marianne Leonie Petrus Thyssen ( [mɑrˈjɑnə 'tɛi̯sə(n)]; born 24 July 1956) is a Belgian politician for the Christian Democratic and Flemish Party (CD&V). In 2014 she became the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility.
Contents
- Commissioner Hearings MEPs grill Thyssen and Creu
- Early life
- Political activity
- Early career
- Career
- References
Early life
Born in Sint-Gillis-Waas, to a Flemish-speaking family, not related to the family of Baron Thyssen, Thyssen graduated from the Catholic University of Leuven (KUL) in 1979, where she obtained a degree in law. She worked as a legal adviser for a Belgian organisation for the self-employed and small and medium-sized businesses Unizo and the women’s network Markant, becoming Director then acting Secretary-General at Unizo in 1991. From 1986-1988 she acted as legal adviser to the state secretary for public health and disability policy.
Political activity
In 1991, Thyssen was elected as Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Flanders with the CD&V, the Flemish Christian Democrats in Belgium. From 1995-2008 she served as municipal Councillor for Oud-Heverlee, a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant and in 2001 she became First Alderman for Oud-Heverlee. In 2008 Thyssen was elected leader of CD&V party.
During her almost 23 years as a member of the European Parliament she was re-elected 5 times. She has sat on the European Parliament's Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, has substituted for the Committee on International Trade, was a member of the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and a substitute for the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. From 1999-2014 she served as leader of the European People's Party's (EPP) Belgian delegation and from 2004-2009 was elected first vice-president of the EPP.
In 2014 she was appointed to the European Commission as Commissioner in charge of Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility for the European Union (EU).
Early career
Career
See also: European Parliament election, 2004 (Belgium)