Marianne Leonie Petrus Thyssen (Dutch pronunciation:[maːriˈjɑnəˈtɛisə(n)]; born 24 July 1956) is a Belgian politician of the Christian Democratic and Flemish Party (CD&V) who served as European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility between 2014 and 2019.
Early life
Born in Sint-Gillis-Waas, to a Flemish family, not related to the family of Baron Thyssen, Thyssen graduated from the Catholic University of Leuven (KUL) in 1979, where she obtained a degree in law. She worked as a legal adviser for a Belgian organisation for the self-employed and small and medium-sized businesses UNIZO and the women's network Christelijke Middenstands- en Burgervrouwen (CMBV) now Markant, becoming Director then acting Secretary-General at UNIZO in 1991. From 1986-1988 she acted as legal adviser to the state secretary for public health and disability policy.
Political activity
In 1991, Thyssen became a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Flanders with the CD&V, the Flemish Christian Democrats in Belgium; she took the place of Karel Pinxten [nl], who had moved to the Belgian Senate.[1] From 1995-2008 she served as municipal Councillor for Oud-Heverlee, a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant, and in 2001 she became First Alderman for Oud-Heverlee. As a local councillor, she chose to work on such social issues as childcare and care for the elderly.[2] In 2008 Thyssen was elected leader of CD&V party.
In 2014 Thyssen was appointed to the European Commission as Commissioner in charge of Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility for the European Union (EU). She became the first Belgian woman to be appointed Commissioner.
Assistant in the faculty of law, Catholic University of Leuven
Legal assistant in the office of the State Secretary for Health
Successively legal adviser, head of a research department and acting Secretary-General at Unizo (organisation for the self-employed and small and medium-sized businesses)
