Maria Berger
Mary - Margaret Berger ( born August 19, 1956 in Perg, Upper Austria ) is an Austrian jurist and politician ( SPÖ). It is the only Austrian who in the European Union already in all three branches of government (legislative, executive and judicial) has exercised important functions.
She was from 1996 to 2009 Member of the European Parliament, interrupted from 2007 to 2008 through her work as Justice Minister in the Cabinet Gusenbauer. Since October 2009 she has been a judge at the European Court of Justice.
Training
After compulsory schooling ( from 1962 to 1968 in Perg and then until 1970 on Neusprachliches high school of the Sisters of the Cross in Gmunden ), she attended from 1970 Oberstufenrealgymnasium Perg, where she graduated in 1974. She studied at least one year English and Romance Languages at the University of Salzburg, from 1975 to devote himself to the study of law and economics at the University of Innsbruck, and in 1979 with the Dr. jur. completed.
Career
Her professional career began Berger as Assistant Professor at the Institute for Public Law and Political Science at the University of Innsbruck from 1979 until 1984. Was followed by activities in the Federal Ministry for Science and Research 1984 until 1987. From 1988 to 1992 she was First Officer, then Director of the Department for integration policy coordination of the Federal Chancellery. After an international assignment as director of the EFTA Surveillance Authority in Geneva and Brussels from 1993 to 1994 she was Vice President from 1995 to 1996 at the Danube University Krems, where she also worked as a lecturer in further consequence.
Berger was on 11 November 1996 Member of the European Parliament and was subsequently a member of the European Convention from 2002 to 2003 and of Austria - Convention of 30 June 2003 to 27 August 2004.
Party political positions in the Social Democracy were particular: national chairman of the Young Generation of the Social Democratic Party from 1984 to 1987, member of the City Council of Perg 1997-2009, Deputy Chairman of the SPÖ - section in Brussels from 1994 to 1997, head of the delegation of the SPÖ MEP, Deputy Club chairman of the Social Democratic parliamentary group - club of the Social Democratic deputies to the National Council, Federal Council and the European Parliament of 11 December 2008 to 7 June 2009 and PES Coordinator in the Committee on Legal Affairs. 2008-2009 she followed Caspar Einem as president of the Federation of Social Democratic academics, intellectuals, artists.
On 11 January 2007, Berger was sworn in as Minister of Justice of the Federal Government Gusenbauer, for which she resigned her parliamentary seat in the European Parliament and resumed only after leaving the federal government in December 2008.
On 22 April 2009 it was confirmed by the Policy Committee of the National Council as an Austrian judge at the European Court of Justice, after having been previously nominated in the day by the federal government to do so. On 7 October 2009 she went to this office. In this position, she was confirmed by the Court in 2012 for another six years until 2018.
She has worked as a visiting professor at the Institute of European Law at the University of Vienna.
Awards
- 2005: Grand Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
- Ring of Honour of the Municipality Perg