Margrethe Vestager

Margrethe Vestager is considered one of the most influential European politicians. For ten years, as EU Commissioner for Competition, she was the central figure in the fight for fair competition and
clear market rules. With unwavering determination, she took on the market power of global corporations and imposed fines in the billions on tech giants. Her work has made her one of the best-known and most popular figures in the European Union.

Margrethe Vestager (born 1968) studied at the University of Copenhagen until 1993, graduating with a Master of Science in Economics. After initial positions at the Danish Ministry of Finance and as a special advisor to the Danish Financial Agency, her political career began with a rapid rise: first as chair of the liberal party Radikale Venstre (RV), then as Minister of Education and Church Affairs. In 2011, she served as Minister of Economic Affairs and the Interior as well as Deputy Prime Minister, thereby playing a central role in Danish politics. In these roles, she implemented groundbreaking reforms, including measures to modernize social policy and a reorientation of economic policy.

Following a nomination by Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Margrethe Vestager became EU Commissioner for Competition in the Juncker Commission in 2014. In this role, she has shaped the
EU’s competition policy. Under her leadership, the Commission was wholly or partially successful in approximately 89 percent of merger control and antitrust cases, as well as in 80 percent of state aid proceedings
. Since 2025, she has been president of the Technical University of Denmark. Margrethe Vestager is regarded as one of Europe’s most prominent voices on economic fairness, market regulation, and the future of the digital economy. Her clear analyses, her economic foresight, and her ability to succinctly articulate even complex issues make her a sought-after speaker.