Anna Diamantopoulou
Encyclopedia
Anna Diamantopoulou is a Member of Parliament in Greece
for the party of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement
(PASOK) and the current Minister for Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs in Greece. She is also a former EU Commissioner, for Employment and Social Affairs
, in the Prodi Commission
, a post she held between 1999–2004.
by training, Diamantopoulou's political career began in 1984, when she was appointed as a Prefects of Kastoria
. Two years later (1986), she was appointed as Secretary General for Adult Education and later for Youth. She was appointed President of the Hellenic Organization of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Handicraft (EOMMEX) in 1993 and left the position to become Secretary General for Industry.
. She was appointed as Deputy Minister for Development in charge of privatisation and industrial restructuring, a position she left in order to become a European Commissioner. In 2001, while holding that post, Diamantopoulou controversially proposed instituting English as an official language in Greece http://www.hri.org/news/greek/mpab/2001/01-11-18.mpab.html#02, prompting amid rebuke the Minister of Education Petros Efthimiou to 'express [his] surprise', and the government spokesman to iterate that 'Ms Diamantopoulou is a European Commissioner and not a member of this government'. After being recalled to Greece, she served as an Opposition MP with responsibilities ranging from External Affairs and Defence to Development Policies. She was in charge of PASOK's political platform during the party's failed bid in the 2007 elections
. She subsequently served as the Shadow Minister for Education until the 2009 elections, in addition to her post as a Member of Parliament for Athens
' First Electoral District.
On 4 October 2009 she was re-elected as a Member of Parliament and is the incumbent Minister of Education, Life Long Learning and Religious Affairs
in the cabinet of George Papandreou. In her capacity as Minister of Education, Diamantopoulou pleaded diminishing tertiary-education enrollments to abolish minimum academic requirements for admission of undergraduates which had long been suggested by the academic community and been recently introduced by the state to ensure higher education's standards. This measure has helped in the short term to save failing low-ranking institutions such as the TEI of Western Macedonia in her former constituency, as it enabled them to broaden recruitment by admitting students from the lowest percentiles of the nationwide examination rankings. In response to criticism that her policy was diluting academic standards for populistic purposes by including admission of underqualified applicants in Higher Education, Diamantopoulou replied that 'in the past, failed applicants would go to private [tertiary] institutions and abroad' anyway.
Diamantopoulou was a participant in Bilderberg Group
conference (Chantilly, Virginia, USA, 2008).
Diamantopoulou declares herself a firm believer in Greece's ability to join the frontrunning countries in the knowledge economy
by 2020. She is the author of a book called 'Exipni Ellada' (Intelligent Greece) which outlines the need for innovation, goal-oriented endeavours and professional approaches as the key prerequisites for social and economic progress.
and since her return to Greece
. A champion of women's issues and a staunch supporter of stronger, more competitive Europe, Anna Diamantopoulou continuously stresses the importance of balancing economic efficiency with social justice. She is currently Chair of the Party of European Socialists
' Committee on the European Dimension of Social Europe and an active participant in Europe-wide debates on the future of European competitiveness, the constitutional treaty and social issues.
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Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
for the party of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement
Panhellenic Socialist Movement
The Panhellenic Socialist Movement , known mostly by its acronym PASOK , is one of the two major political parties in Greece. Founded on 3 September 1974 by Andreas Papandreou, in 1981 PASOK became Greece's first social democratic party to win a majority in parliament.The party is a socialist party...
(PASOK) and the current Minister for Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs in Greece. She is also a former EU Commissioner, for Employment and Social Affairs
European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs & Equal Opportunities
The Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion is the member of the European Commission. The current commissioner is László Andor....
, in the Prodi Commission
Prodi Commission
The Prodi Commission was the European Commission in office between 1999 and 2004. The administration was led by former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi.-History:...
, a post she held between 1999–2004.
Career
A civil engineerCivil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
by training, Diamantopoulou's political career began in 1984, when she was appointed as a Prefects of Kastoria
Kastoria
Kastoria is a city in northern Greece in the periphery of West Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria peripheral unit. It is situated on a promontory on the western shore of Lake Orestiada, in a valley surrounded by limestone mountains...
. Two years later (1986), she was appointed as Secretary General for Adult Education and later for Youth. She was appointed President of the Hellenic Organization of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Handicraft (EOMMEX) in 1993 and left the position to become Secretary General for Industry.
Political career
Anna Diamantopoulou's parliamentary career began in 1996 when she was elected to represent the district of KozaniKozani
Kozani is a city in northern Greece, capital of Kozani regional unit and of West Macedonia region. It is located in the western part of Macedonia, in the northern part of the Aliakmonas river valley...
. She was appointed as Deputy Minister for Development in charge of privatisation and industrial restructuring, a position she left in order to become a European Commissioner. In 2001, while holding that post, Diamantopoulou controversially proposed instituting English as an official language in Greece http://www.hri.org/news/greek/mpab/2001/01-11-18.mpab.html#02, prompting amid rebuke the Minister of Education Petros Efthimiou to 'express [his] surprise', and the government spokesman to iterate that 'Ms Diamantopoulou is a European Commissioner and not a member of this government'. After being recalled to Greece, she served as an Opposition MP with responsibilities ranging from External Affairs and Defence to Development Policies. She was in charge of PASOK's political platform during the party's failed bid in the 2007 elections
Elections in Greece
Elections in Greece gives information on election and election results in Greece.-Election of the legislature:The Greek Parliament has 300 members, elected for a four-year term by a system of 'reinforced' proportional representation in 56 constituencies, 48 of which are multi-seat and 8 single-seat...
. She subsequently served as the Shadow Minister for Education until the 2009 elections, in addition to her post as a Member of Parliament for Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
' First Electoral District.
On 4 October 2009 she was re-elected as a Member of Parliament and is the incumbent Minister of Education, Life Long Learning and Religious Affairs
Minister for National Education and Religious Affairs (Greece)
The Ministry of Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs , formerly the Ministry for National Education and Religious Affairs , is a government department of Greece...
in the cabinet of George Papandreou. In her capacity as Minister of Education, Diamantopoulou pleaded diminishing tertiary-education enrollments to abolish minimum academic requirements for admission of undergraduates which had long been suggested by the academic community and been recently introduced by the state to ensure higher education's standards. This measure has helped in the short term to save failing low-ranking institutions such as the TEI of Western Macedonia in her former constituency, as it enabled them to broaden recruitment by admitting students from the lowest percentiles of the nationwide examination rankings. In response to criticism that her policy was diluting academic standards for populistic purposes by including admission of underqualified applicants in Higher Education, Diamantopoulou replied that 'in the past, failed applicants would go to private [tertiary] institutions and abroad' anyway.
Diamantopoulou was a participant in Bilderberg Group
Bilderberg Group
The Bilderberg Group, Bilderberg conference, or Bilderberg Club is an annual, unofficial, invitation-only conference of approximately 120 to 140 guests from North America and Western Europe, most of whom are people of influence. About one-third are from government and politics, and two-thirds from...
conference (Chantilly, Virginia, USA, 2008).
Diamantopoulou declares herself a firm believer in Greece's ability to join the frontrunning countries in the knowledge economy
Knowledge economy
The knowledge economy is a term that refers either to an economy of knowledge focused on the production and management of knowledge in the frame of economic constraints, or to a knowledge-based economy. In the second meaning, more frequently used, it refers to the use of knowledge technologies to...
by 2020. She is the author of a book called 'Exipni Ellada' (Intelligent Greece) which outlines the need for innovation, goal-oriented endeavours and professional approaches as the key prerequisites for social and economic progress.
Europe
Diamantopoulou has been very active in European affairs both from her position at the European CommissionEuropean Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
and since her return to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. A champion of women's issues and a staunch supporter of stronger, more competitive Europe, Anna Diamantopoulou continuously stresses the importance of balancing economic efficiency with social justice. She is currently Chair of the Party of European Socialists
Party of European Socialists
The Party of European Socialists is a European political party led by Sergei Stanishev, former Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The PES comprises social-democratic national-level political parties primarily from Member state of the European Union, as well as other nations of the European continent. The...
' Committee on the European Dimension of Social Europe and an active participant in Europe-wide debates on the future of European competitiveness, the constitutional treaty and social issues.
See also
- Panhellenic Socialist MovementPanhellenic Socialist MovementThe Panhellenic Socialist Movement , known mostly by its acronym PASOK , is one of the two major political parties in Greece. Founded on 3 September 1974 by Andreas Papandreou, in 1981 PASOK became Greece's first social democratic party to win a majority in parliament.The party is a socialist party...
- Party of European SocialstsParty of European SocialistsThe Party of European Socialists is a European political party led by Sergei Stanishev, former Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The PES comprises social-democratic national-level political parties primarily from Member state of the European Union, as well as other nations of the European continent. The...
- Cabinet of GreeceCabinet of GreeceThe cabinet of Greece , officially called the Ministerial Council , constitutes the Government of Greece. It is the collective decision-making body of the Hellenic Republic, composed of the Prime Minister and the Ministers...
- Politics of GreecePolitics of GreeceThe Politics of Greece takes place in a large parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Greece is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Hellenic Parliament...
Sources
- Official Website of Anna Diamantopoulou – Biography
- Biography of Anna Diamantopoulou in the Official Website of the Hellenic Parliament –
External links
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