Margot Wallström
Encyclopedia
Margot Elisabeth Wallström (ˈmaɾːɡɔt ˈvalːstɾœm) (born 28 September 1954 in Skellefteå
Skellefteå
-Industry:*Boliden AB, a big mining and smelting company*Alimak*Natural User Interface Technologies AB - NUITEQ, a promising emerging technology start-up company-Sports:*Skellefteå AIK, an ice hockey team in the highest Swedish league, Elitserien....

) is a Swedish social democratic
Politics of Sweden
Politics of Sweden takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic constitutional monarchy. Executive power is exercised by the government, led by the Prime Minister of Sweden. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament, elected within a multi-party...

, currently holding the job as Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) on Sexual Violence in Conflict. Prior to this post, 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
Barroso Commission
The Barroso Commission is the European Commission that has been in office since 22 November 2004 and is due to serve until 2014. Its president is José Manuel Barroso, who presides over 26 other commissioners...

.

Political career

Wallström, a high school graduate, lacking academic degrees, has had a long career in politics, in the Swedish parliament, the Swedish government and in the European Commission
European 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....

. 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
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...

, Sri Lanka. Wallström is married and has two children.

In 2004, Wallström became the first member of the European Commission
European 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....

 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. 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" – but has earned her names like "the Propaganda Commissioner" as well from political opponents. The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...

 listed her among the worst commissioners in 2009.

Recent events

Following the 2006 election, where the Social Democratic Party lost power, former Prime Minister Göran Persson
Göran Persson
Hans Göran Persson was the Prime Minister of Sweden from 1996 to 2006 and the leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party from 1996 to 2007. Conceding defeat in the September 2006 general election, he announced that he would resign as party leader, and Mona Sahlin was elected to succeed him as...

 announced his withdrawal from politics in March 2007. Wallström was regarded as the favourite candidate to succeed Persson as Social Democratic party leader, but made clear that she did not wish to be considered for the position. The post instead went to Mona Sahlin
Mona Sahlin
Mona Ingeborg Sahlin is a Swedish politician and the former leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party.Sahlin has been a Member of Parliament, representing Stockholm County, from 1982 to 1996 and again since 2002. She has also held various ministerial posts in the Swedish government from 1990...

.

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. This was by Swedish liberal Carl B Hamilton (and later also Fredrik Reinfeldt
Fredrik Reinfeldt
John Fredrik Reinfeldt is the Prime Minister of Sweden, leader of the liberal conservative Moderate Party and former President of the European Council...

) considered 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.

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
Sifo
SIFO is a Swedish company earlier known as Sifo Research International in the area of opinion and social research. The company was founded in 1954 as Svenska institutet för opinionsundersökningar and known by the public under the abbreviation SIFO which is one of the strongest brands in Sweden...

. The previous year, 2005, she was second place. Wallström was modest in response stating that "it might be because I'm so far away".

On 16 November 2007, Margot Wallström, became Chair of the Council of Women World Leaders
Council of Women World Leaders
The Council of Women World Leaders is a network of current and former women prime ministers and presidents established in 1996 by Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, President of Iceland and first woman in the world to be democratically elected president, and Laura Liswood, Secretary General...

 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
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...

, announced at the African Union summit in Ethiopia his intention to nominate Wallström as his first ever Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. As a reaction, Wallström said that she felt "honoured" and "humble" to have been chosen for the job, 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
Lund University
Lund University , located in the city of Lund in the province of Scania, Sweden, is one of northern Europe's most prestigious universities and one of Scandinavia's largest institutions for education and research, frequently ranked among the world's top 100 universities...

 in Sweden.

Curriculum vitae

As of 2007

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
    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:...

    )
  • 1996–1998 Minister for Social Affairs
    Minister for Social Affairs (Sweden)
    Minister for Health and Social Affairs is the title of the head of the Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs.List of Swedish Ministers for Health and Social Affairs:*1920 - 1920 Bernhard Eriksson , Social Democratic...

  • 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
    Ombudsman
    An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...

    , Swedish Social Democratic Youth League
    Swedish Social Democratic Youth League
    The Swedish Social Democratic Youth League is a branch of the Swedish social democratic party Socialdemokraterna and the Swedish Trade Union Confederation...


Employment:
  • 1998–1999 Executive Vice-president, Worldview Global Media, Colombo, Sri Lanka
  • 1993–1994 CEO, TV Värmland
    Värmland
    ' is a historical province or landskap in the west of middle Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland and Närke. It is also bounded by Norway in the west. Latin name versions are Vermelandia and Wermelandia. Although the province's land originally was Götaland, the...

     (Regional Television Network)
  • 1986–1987 Senior Accountant, Alfa Savings bank, Karlstad
    Karlstad
    Karlstad is a city, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city had 61,685 inhabitants in 2010 out of a municipal total that during the first quarter 2010 was 84,885 inhabitants...

  • 1977–1979 Accountant, Alfa Savings Bank, Karlstad

Education and other:
  • 2007 Foreword to Al Gore
    Al Gore
    Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....

    's Swedish translation of the book An Inconvenient Truth
    An Inconvenient Truth
    An Inconvenient Truth is a 2006 documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim about former United States Vice President Al Gore's campaign to educate citizens about global warming via a comprehensive slide show that, by his own estimate, he has given more than a thousand times.Premiering at the...

    .
  • 2005 Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
    Doctor of Humane Letters
    The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters is always conferred as an honorary degree, usually to those who have distinguished themselves in areas other than science, government, literature or religion, which are awarded degrees of Doctor of Science, Doctor of Laws, Doctor of Letters, or Doctor of...

     Degree, University of Massachusetts
    University of Massachusetts
    This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...

    , Lowell
    Lowell
    - In the United States :* Lowell, Massachusetts** Lowell National Historical Park** Lowell * Lowell, Arkansas* Lowell, California* Lowell, Florida* Lowell, Indiana* Lowell, Bartholomew County, Indiana* Lowell, Maine* Lowell, Michigan...

  • 2004 Book (together with MEP
    Member of the European Parliament
    A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...

     Göran Färm
    Göran Färm
    Göran Färm is a PES Member of the European Parliament for Sweden. He was born on 17 October 1949 in Stockholm. His national party is the Swedish Social Democratic Party and sits on the Committee on Budgets...

    ): The People's Europe or Why is it so hard to love the EU?
  • 2004 Honorary doctor at Mälardalen University
    Mälardalen University
    Mälardalen University College , or MdH, is a university college located in Västerås and Eskilstuna, Sweden. It has 13,000 students and over 1,000 employees, of which around 40 are professors...

    , Sweden
  • 2004 IAIA
    Environmental impact assessment
    An environmental impact assessment is an assessment of the possible positive or negative impact that a proposed project may have on the environment, together consisting of the natural, social and economic aspects....

     Global Environmental Award
  • 2002 European Commissioner
    European Commissioner
    A European Commissioner is a member of the 27-member European Commission. Each Member within the college holds a specific portfolio and are led by the President of the European Commission...

     of the Year (by European Voice
    European Voice
    European Voice is an English language newspaper owned by The Economist Group. The newspaper gives an account of the activities of the key European Union institutions – the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of Ministers...

    )
  • 2001 Honorary doctor at Chalmers University, Sweden
  • 1973 Graduated from high

External links


Footnotes

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