Ska Keller

Franziska Maria "Ska" Keller (German: [ˈskaː ˈkɛlɐ]; born 22 November 1981) is a German politician and member of the European Parliament for the Germany constituency. She is a member of the Alliance '90/The Greens, part of the European Green Party.[1]

Ska Keller

MEP
Keller in July 2019
Leader of the Greens–European Free Alliance in the European Parliament
Assumed office
14 December 2016
Serving with Philippe Lamberts
Preceded byRebecca Harms
Leader of Alliance '90/The Greens in Brandenburg
In office
12 November 2007 – 14 November 2009
Serving with Axel Vogel
Preceded byKahrin Vohland
Succeeded byAnnalena Baerbock
Member of the European Parliament
Assumed office
1 July 2009
ConstituencyGermany
Personal details
Born
Franziska Maria Keller

(1981-11-22) 22 November 1981
Guben, East Germany
(now Germany)
Political partyAlliance '90/The Greens
Spouse(s)Markus Drake
Alma materFree University of Berlin
Websitewww.ska-keller.de

She is co-president of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament and member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). Ska Keller was the European Greens' frontrunner during the European elections 2014 together with José Bové and has been elected to lead them again for the European elections 2019, together with Dutchman Bas Eickhout.[2] She is currently serving her second term in office, while she was first elected into the European Parliament at the age of 27 in 2009.

Education

Keller studied Islamic studies, Turkish and Jewish Studies at Free University of Berlin and at Sabancı Üniversitesi in Istanbul. Besides her native language of German, she is also fluent in English, French and Spanish, as well as speaking some Turkish and Arabic.[3][4] She completed her degree in 2010.[5]

Political career

Early beginnings

In 2001, Keller joined the Green Youth and served as spokesperson of the Federation of Young European Greens from 2005 to 2007. From 2007 to 2009, she led the Green Party in Brandenburg having joined the German Green party in 2002. In Brandenburg, she campaigned for a statewide referendum against new coal mines.

Member of the European Parliament, 2009–present

During her first term (2009-2014, Keller served on the Committee on Development from 2009 to 2012. From 2012 to 2014, she was a member of the Committee on International Trade. In addition to her committee assignments, Keller was also member of the Parliament’s delegation with the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee. In this capacity, she focused on the issues of migration and the EU's relations with Turkey.

In her second term (2014-2019), Keller became Co-president of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament in 2016. Additionally, Keller was a member of the Committee on International Trade from 2014 to 2017. She continued to serve as a member of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee and joined the Parliament's delegation to the Cariforum.[6]

From 2009 to 2011, Keller also served as member of the European Parliament’s High-Level Contact Group for Relations with the Turkish Cypriot Community in the Northern Part of the Island (CYTR).[7]

Ska Keller has been a leading candidate of the European Green Party for the European elections in 2014 as well as in 2019. In January 2014, Keller won the Green Primary, a pan-European open primary.[8] On 24 November 2018, Keller was elected leading candidate for the second time, together with Bas Eickhout.[9]

Keller is known for her commitment to fighting corruption in the European Union.[10] In February 2018, she participated in protests against corruption in Bulgaria.[11]

In July 2019, Keller announced she would be a candidate for the presidency of the European Parliament.[12] Sira Rigo of the GUE/NGL, David-Maria Sassoli of the S&D and Jan Zahradil of the ECR also ran for the post, with Sassoli eventually winning with the support of 345 out of a total of 667 MEPs.[13][14]

In September 2019, European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen created the new position of “Vice President for Protecting our European Way of Life”, who will be responsible for upholding the rule-of-law, internal security and migration.[15] Keller said it was "scary to see a proposal for a portfolio on 'protecting the European way of life' which includes migration and border protection".[16]

Other activities
  • Institut Solidarische Moderne (ISM), Member (since 2010)[17]

Personal life

Keller is married to Finnish activist Markus Drake.

She abbreviated her first name from Franziska to Ska by omitting the first part ('Franzi-').[18]

References
  1. "Franziska KELLER". Europa. European Parliament. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
  2. "European Greens elect leading duo". European Greens. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
  3. Caspari, Lisa (1 February 2014). "Grüne Ska Keller: Jung, freundlich, gefährlich". ZEIT ONLINE.
  4. „Das steht eigentlich nur auf dem Papier, dass ich das spreche", in: „Ska Keller: 'Es geht darum, Europa zu verändern“, Interview mit DLR Kultur, 1. März 2014
  5. MdEP, Ska Keller. "Vita". Ska Keller, MdEP. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
  6. "8th parliamentary term | Ska KELLER | MEPs | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
  7. The no-contact group European Voice, July 7, 2010.
  8. "Keller and Bové to campaign as Greens' duo". Euractiv.com. January 29, 2014. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
  9. "European Greens elect leading duo". European Greens. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
  10. "Ska Keller's extraordinary Bulgarian experience reverberates in Brussels". Euractiv.com. February 12, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  11. "Green leader Ska Keller to join Sofia protests". bulgarianpresidency.eu. February 6, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  12. "Green's Keller runs for EU Parliament presidency". EU Observer. 2 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  13. "European Parliament begins voting for new president". Deutsche Welle. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  14. "MEPs choose David Sassoli as new European Parliament president". BBC. 3 July 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  15. "New EU post to protect European Way of Life slammed as 'grotesque'". Reuters. 10 September 2019.
  16. "EU chief under fire over 'protecting way of life' portfolio". BBC News. 11 September 2019.
  17. Members Institut Solidarische Moderne (ISM).
  18. "Ska Keller heißt eigentlich Franziska, nur mochte sie nicht Franzi genannt werden.": Jung, gebildet, ehrgeizig - Berufspolitiker, faz.net, Aug 23, 2009


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