Pamela Rendi-Wagner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pamela Rendi-Wagner
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Rendi-Wagner in October 2021
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| Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control | |
| Assumed office 17 June 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Andrea Ammon |
| Chair of the Social Democratic Party | |
| In office 24 November 2018 – 3 June 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Christian Kern |
| Succeeded by | Andreas Babler |
| Minister of Health and Women | |
| In office 8 March 2017 – 18 December 2017 |
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| Chancellor | Christian Kern |
| Preceded by | Sabine Oberhauser |
| Succeeded by | Beate Hartinger-Klein |
| Member of the National Council | |
| In office 9 November 2017 – 30 June 2023 |
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| Nominated by | Christian Kern |
| Affiliation | Social Democratic Party |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Joy Pamela Wagner
7 May 1971 Vienna, Austria |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party |
| Spouse | Michael Rendi |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Vienna (MD) London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (MSc) |
Pamela Rendi-Wagner (born Joy Pamela Wagner, 7 May 1971) is an Austrian doctor and politician. She is currently the director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Before this, she was the leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) from 2018 to 2023. She was the first woman to ever lead this important political party in Austria.
From 2011 to 2017, she worked as a top public health official in Austria's Ministry of Health. She also served as the Minister for Health and Women for a short time in 2017. Later, she became a member of the Austrian parliament, called the National Council. In June 2024, she started her new role leading the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
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Pamela Rendi-Wagner's Early Life
Joy Pamela Wagner was born in Vienna, the capital city of Austria, on May 7, 1971. She grew up in the Favoriten area of the city. Her parents were Wolfgang and Christine Wagner. When her parents divorced, she lived with her mother.
She went to high school in Meidling and finished in 1989. After high school, she decided to study medicine at the University of Vienna. She earned her medical degree in 1996. She then continued her studies in London, focusing on "Infection and Health in the Tropics." She received a master's degree (MSc) in 1997. She also earned a special diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Her Career in Health and Medicine
In 1998, Pamela Rendi-Wagner returned to the University of Vienna to work. She spent several years working in different departments focused on preventing diseases and tropical medicine. She also worked at the Kaiser Franz Josef Hospital.
She became an expert in preventing specific diseases and in tropical hygiene. In 2005, she received a special diploma from the Medical University of Vienna for her expertise.
As a project leader, she helped create a system to track important infectious diseases. Her research even helped change the recommended time between tick vaccinations from three to five years. In 2008, she became a university lecturer in her fields. She then worked as a scientist around the world, studying how infections spread, how vaccines help, and health for travelers.
From 2008 to 2011, she was a guest lecturer at Tel Aviv University in Israel. She also taught at the Medical University of Vienna from 2012 to 2017. From 2011 to 2017, she led a major section in the Ministry of Health. This section dealt with public health and medical issues. She also chaired the Office for Safety in Health Care.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner's Political Journey
Pamela Rendi-Wagner became involved in politics in 2012. She joined a group linked to the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ). In March 2017, she was chosen to become the Minister for Health and Women. This happened after the previous minister, Sabine Oberhauser, passed away. She served in the government led by Chancellor Christian Kern. She officially joined the SPÖ just before becoming a minister.
After the government changed in December 2017, she left her role as minister. She then became a member of the National Council, which is Austria's parliament. In parliament, she became the SPÖ's spokesperson for health.
Leading the Social Democratic Party
In September 2018, the SPÖ's leader, Christian Kern, announced he would step down. The party decided that Pamela Rendi-Wagner should be his successor. On November 24, she was officially confirmed as the party leader. She received a very high percentage of votes from party members. This made her the first woman in history to lead the SPÖ.
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She said she wanted to make the party modern and open-minded. She aimed for the party to give clear answers and stand for fairness and equal chances for everyone. She wanted to be different from other political parties without always disagreeing with the government.
In May 2019, the SPÖ chose Rendi-Wagner to be their main candidate for the federal election that year. The party came in second place, remaining a major opposition party. In the new parliament, she became the SPÖ's spokesperson for foreign policy.
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In early 2020, the SPÖ asked its members what they thought of Rendi-Wagner's leadership. The results were announced in May, and she received strong support from the members. She then presented a new plan for the party, focusing on strengthening public services like health and care. She also wanted to improve jobs and make taxes fairer.
In January 2021, a survey showed that Pamela Rendi-Wagner was the most popular politician in Austria. She had more public support than the Chancellor at the time. During a political crisis in late 2021, she criticized the government for being too focused on itself during the COVID-19 pandemic. She called for new elections.
In 2023, the SPÖ held another leadership election. Pamela Rendi-Wagner came in third place. After this, she announced that she would step down as party leader. A new leader, Andreas Babler, was then chosen for the party.
Her Personal Life
Pamela Rendi-Wagner's mother was a kindergarten teacher. Her father, Wolfgang Wagner, is a professor of social psychology. Her father, who was very interested in politics, helped her learn about political and feminist ideas. She has two half-brothers.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner is married to Michael Rendi. He used to be an Austrian ambassador to Israel. They have two daughters together.
See also
In Spanish: Pamela Rendi-Wagner para niños
