Margrethe Vestager facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Margrethe Vestager
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Vestager in 2022
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| Executive Vice President of the European Commission for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age | |
| In office 1 December 2019 – 30 November 2024 |
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| President | Ursula von der Leyen |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Henna Virkkunen |
| European Commissioner for Competition | |
| In office 1 November 2014 – 30 November 2024 |
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| President | Jean-Claude Juncker Ursula von der Leyen |
| Preceded by | Joaquín Almunia |
| Succeeded by | Teresa Ribera |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Denmark | |
| In office 3 October 2011 – 2 September 2014 |
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| Prime Minister | Helle Thorning-Schmidt |
| Preceded by | Lars Barfoed |
| Succeeded by | Morten Østergaard |
| Minister of the Economy and Interior | |
| In office 3 October 2011 – 2 September 2014 |
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| Prime Minister | Helle Thorning-Schmidt |
| Preceded by | Brian Mikkelsen (Economy) Bertel Haarder (Interior) |
| Succeeded by | Morten Østergaard |
| Leader of the Social Liberal Party | |
| In office 15 June 2007 – 2 September 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Marianne Jelved |
| Succeeded by | Morten Østergaard |
| Minister of Education | |
| In office 23 March 1998 – 27 November 2001 |
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| Prime Minister | Poul Nyrup Rasmussen |
| Preceded by | Ole Vig Jensen |
| Succeeded by | Ulla Tørnæs |
| Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs | |
| In office 23 March 1998 – 21 December 2000 |
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| Prime Minister | Poul Nyrup Rasmussen |
| Preceded by | Ole Vig Jensen |
| Succeeded by | Johannes Lebech |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 April 1968 Glostrup, Denmark |
| Political party | Social Liberal Party |
| Other political affiliations |
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party |
| Spouse |
Thomas Jensen
(m. 1994) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Copenhagen |
Margrethe Vestager (born 13 April 1968) is a Danish politician. She has held important roles in the European Commission. From 2019 to 2024, she was the Executive Vice President of the European Commission for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age. Before that, from 2014 to 2024, she served as the European Commissioner for Competition.
Before joining the European Commission, Vestager was a leader in Danish politics. She was the leader of the Danish Social Liberal Party from 2007 to 2014. She also served as a minister in the Danish government. For example, she was the Minister of Education from 1998 to 2001.
As the Commissioner for Competition, Vestager became well-known for her work. She investigated large companies like Google and Apple Inc. to make sure they followed fair competition rules. Her actions were seen as important for making sure big companies don't have too much power.
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Early Life and Education
Margrethe Vestager was born in Glostrup, Zealand, Denmark. Her parents were both Lutheran ministers. She grew up in Ølgod and finished high school in 1986. She then studied Economics at the University of Copenhagen, graduating in 1993.
Political Journey
Vestager started her political career at a young age. When she was 21, she joined important committees of her party. Soon after, she became the national leader of the Danish Social Liberal Party.
In 2001, Vestager was elected to the Danish Parliament. She became the leader of her party's group in Parliament in 2007. She also served as the Minister of Education and Ecclesiastical Affairs starting in 1998.
Minister for Economic and Interior Affairs, 2011–2014
From 2011 to 2014, Vestager was the Minister for Economic and Interior Affairs in Denmark. She was part of a three-party government led by Helle Thorning-Schmidt. During this time, she worked on improving Denmark's economy.
She also played a role in European finance. She led meetings of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) in 2012. This was when Denmark held the presidency of the Council of Ministers. She worked with Jean-Claude Juncker to help Europe's financial sector.
In 2014, Vestager introduced a plan to help Denmark's economy grow. This plan aimed to boost the country's output and reduce costs for businesses. She believed that Denmark needed to be close to the core of Europe to achieve its goals.
European Commissioner for Competition, 2014–2019
In 2014, Vestager was chosen to be Denmark's EU Commissioner. She was given the important job of European Commissioner for Competition. This means she was in charge of making sure companies compete fairly in the European Union.
She quickly started investigating big companies. She looked into Google for possible unfair practices. She also investigated the tax deals of companies like Fiat, Starbucks, Amazon, and Apple Inc.. She also started proceedings against Gazprom, a major gas supplier, for breaking EU rules.
In 2016, after a long investigation, Vestager announced that Apple Inc. had received illegal tax benefits from Ireland. The European Commission ordered Apple to pay back a large amount of money in unpaid taxes. This was a very big decision.
In 2017, she fined Alphabet (Google's parent company) for breaking antitrust rules. In 2018, she fined Qualcomm and again Alphabet (Google) for similar reasons. In 2019, she fined Mastercard and Google again for unfair practices. Her actions against American companies sometimes led to criticism from US President Donald Trump.
In 2019, Vestager also stopped a merger between two large European train companies, Siemens and Alstom. She did this because she believed it would reduce competition too much.
Executive Vice President for a Digital Europe, 2019–2024
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After the 2019 European Parliament election, Vestager was considered for the role of President of the European Commission. However, her decision to block the Siemens-Alstom merger caused some resistance.
In June 2019, she was proposed to continue as Denmark's Commissioner. She became one of the Executive Vice-Presidents of the Commission. Her main responsibility was for "A Europe Fit for the Digital Age." This meant she worked on rules for digital services and technology.
In this role, Vestager helped lead the Trade and Technology Council since 2021. This council works on technology and trade issues between the US and the EU.
In 2023, there was a discussion about appointing an American economist as chief economist in the Competition Directorate. This appointment was later withdrawn. Vestager then resumed her duties as Competition Commissioner.
After Thierry Breton resigned in September 2024, Vestager also took on his role as Commissioner for Internal Market until the end of the Commission's term.
Other Activities
Vestager has been involved in various organizations.
- She was a member of the Board of Advisors for Royal Greenland from 2004 to 2007.
- She was also on the Executive Committee of UNICEF Denmark from 2007 to 2011.
- She has been a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).
Awards and Recognition
- In 2017, she received an Doctorate honoris causa from KU Leuven university.
Personal Life
Margrethe Vestager is married to Thomas Jensen, a maths and philosophy teacher. They have three daughters. Vestager was an inspiration for the main character in the TV series Borgen, which shows a politician balancing family and work. She enjoys knitting and is a self-declared feminist. She speaks Danish, English, and some French.
See also
In Spanish: Margrethe Vestager para niños
- Double Irish arrangement, Apple's 2004–2014 Irish tax tool
- EU illegal State aid case against Apple in Ireland, the case against Apple in Ireland
- Leprechaun economics, the effect of Apple's 2015 changes on Ireland's economy
- CAIA arrangement, Apple's tax tool after 2015
- Ireland as a tax haven, an overview of Ireland's tax tools
