Günter Verheugen

Günter Verheugen
Name	Günter Verheugen
Caption	Verheugen in 2009
Office	European Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry
Term start	22 November 2004
Term end	9 February 2010
President	José Manuel Barroso
Predecessor	Portfolio established
Successor	Antonio Tajani
Office1	European Commissioner for Enlargement
Term start1	13 September 1999
Term end1	22 November 2004
President1	Romano Prodi
Predecessor1	Hans van den Broek
Successor1	Olli Rehn
Office2	Minister of State for Europe
Term start2	1998
Term end2	1999
Chancellor	Gerhard Schröder
Predecessor2	Helmut Schäfer
Successor2	Christoph Zöpel
Office3	Member of the Bundestag
Term start3	1983
Term end3	1999
Constituency3	Rhineland-Palatinate
Party	Social Democratic Party
Birth date	28 April 1944
Birth place	Bad Kreuznach, Nazi Germany
Alma mater	University of Cologne
Spouse	Gabriele Feldmann (div.), Cornelia, 2009

Günter Verheugen is a German politician who served as a prominent European Commissioner in the Prodi Commission and the first Barroso Commission. He is best known for overseeing the historic eastern enlargement of the European Union during his tenure as Commissioner for Enlargement, which integrated ten new member states including Poland and the Czech Republic. Later, as Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry, he focused on competitiveness and small and medium-sized enterprises. A long-time member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, he previously held significant roles in the Bundestag and the Federal Foreign Office.

Early life and education

Günter Verheugen was born in Bad Kreuznach in the final year of World War II. He completed his secondary education at the Stefan George Gymnasium in Bingen am Rhein. He subsequently studied history, sociology, and political science at the University of Cologne, graduating in 1969. During his university years, he became actively involved in student politics and joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany in 1966, marking the beginning of his lifelong political engagement.

Political career in Germany

Verheugen began his professional political career as a personal assistant to Hans-Jürgen Wischnewski, a senior SPD figure. He later worked as a political journalist and served as the federal manager of the Young Socialists in the SPD from 1974 to 1976. In 1978, he joined the Federal Foreign Office as a speechwriter for then-Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher. Elected to the Bundestag in 1983 representing Rhineland-Palatinate, he held various parliamentary positions, including spokesperson for European affairs for the SPD parliamentary group. Following the 1998 federal election and the formation of the first Schröder cabinet, he was appointed Minister of State for Europe at the Federal Foreign Office under Minister Joschka Fischer.

European Commissioner for Enlargement

In 1999, Verheugen was nominated by the Government of Germany to serve on the Prodi Commission. Appointed as the European Commissioner for Enlargement, he managed the complex and historic process of integrating ten mostly post-communist countries, including Hungary, the Baltic states, and Slovenia, into the European Union in 2004. His tenure also involved accession negotiations with Romania and Bulgaria, which joined in 2007, and the initiation of a Stabilisation and Association Process for the Western Balkans. This period is widely regarded as one of the EU's greatest political successes, significantly reshaping the continent's geopolitical landscape.

European Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry

Following the 2004 enlargement, Verheugen became a Vice-President of the European Commission in the first Barroso Commission, taking the portfolio for Enterprise and Industry. His key initiatives included championing the Lisbon Strategy for growth, reducing bureaucracy through the Better Regulation agenda, and advocating for the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises. He also oversaw significant legislative proposals in areas such as REACH (chemicals regulation), industrial policy, and consumer protection, aiming to balance competitiveness with high regulatory standards.

Later political activities and retirement

After leaving the European Commission in 2010, Verheugen remained active in public life. He served as a professor at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) and joined the advisory board of the Turkish Industry and Business Association. He has been a frequent commentator on European integration and has authored several books. He also served on the Supervisory Board of Turkish Airlines and held advisory roles with various consultancies, while occasionally criticizing EU policies on issues like austerity and the handling of the Greek government-debt crisis.

Personal life

Verheugen was first married to Gabriele Feldmann, with whom he has a son. The marriage ended in divorce. In 2009, he married his long-time partner, Cornelia. He is known for his deep commitment to the European project and is a recipient of several honors, including the Grand Cross 1st Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. In his retirement, he resides primarily in Berlin and continues to engage in writing and lectures on European affairs.

Category:German European Commissioners Category:Members of the Bundestag for Rhineland-Palatinate Category:1944 births Category:Living people