Anna Diamantopoulou
| Anna Diamantopoulou | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Minister for Development, Competitiveness and Shipping | |
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In office 7 March 2012 – 17 May 2012 |
|
| Prime Minister | Lucas Papademos |
| Preceded by | Michalis Chrisochoidis |
| Succeeded by | Yannis Stournaras |
| Minister for Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs | |
|
In office 7 October 2009 – 7 March 2012 |
|
| Prime Minister |
George Papandreou Lucas Papademos |
| Preceded by | Aris Spiliotopoulos (National Education and Religious Affairs) |
| Succeeded by | Georgios Babiniotis |
| European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs | |
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In office 25 September 1999 – 18 February 2004 |
|
| President | Romano Prodi |
| Preceded by | Pádraig Flynn |
| Succeeded by | Stavros Dimas |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
26 February 1959 Kozani, Greece |
| Political party | Panhellenic Socialist Movement |
| Spouse(s) | Giannis Savalanos |
| Children | Haridimos |
| Alma mater |
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Panteion University |
| Website | www |
Anna Diamantopoulou (Greek: Άννα Διαμαντοπούλου; born 26 February 1959 in Kozani, Greece) is President of the Greek think tank "TO DIKTIO" and former Minister of Education. She is also a former European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities in the Prodi Commission, a post she held between 1999–2004.
A civil engineer 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.
Anna Diamantopoulou's parliamentary career began in 1996 when she was elected to represent the district of Kozani. 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.
On 4 October 2009 she was re-elected as a Member of Parliament and served as Minister for Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs in the cabinet of George Papandreou. In her capacity as education minister, Diamantopoulou cited diminishing tertiary-education enrolments as justification for the abolition of minimum academic requirements for undergraduate admission which had long been suggested by the academic community and recently introduced by the state to ensure higher standards. This measure helped 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 populist purposes, Diamantopoulou replied that 'in the past, failed applicants would go to private [tertiary] institutions and abroad' anyway.
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