Margrete Helle Auken (born 6 January 1945) is a Danish politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2004 to 2024. She is a member of the Socialistisk Folkeparti, part of the European Green Party. She was also formerly a Member of the Folketing.

Margrete Auken
Member of the European Parliament
Assumed office
20 July 2004
ConstituencyDenmark
Member of the Folketing
In office
22 October 1979 – 20 July 2004
ConstituencyÅrhus
Personal details
Born
Margrete Helle Auken

(1945-01-06) 6 January 1945 (age 79)
Århus, Denmark
Political party Danish
Socialistisk Folkeparti
 EU
European Green Party
SpouseErik Aksel Nielsen
Children3, including Ida Auken
ParentKirsten Auken (mother)
RelativesSvend Auken (brother)
Alma materUniversity of Copenhagen
Websitewww.auken.dk

Auken was educated at the University of Copenhagen and is a sognepræst (parish priest) at the Frederiksberg Church in the Church of Denmark.

Political career

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Auken was a member of the Danish parliament from October 1979 to December 1990 and from September 1994 to June 2004.

When she was elected as the sole candidate for SF for the European Parliament in 2004[1] Auken sparked an uproar in SF by choosing to join the European Green Party – European Free Alliance instead of the European United Left – Nordic Green League without the approval of SF.

In parliament, Auken served on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety from 2014. She had previously been a member of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (2004-2007), the Committee on Development (2005-2009). In 2007 she also joined the Committee on Petitions.

In addition to her committee assignments, Auken was a member of the delegation for relations with Palestine. She is also part of the European Parliament Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals[2] and the European Parliament Intergroup on Seas, Rivers, Islands and Coastal Areas.[3]

Auken was re-elected in 2019.[4]

Personal life

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Auken's brother is Svend Auken. She has three children.[5] Her daughter Ida Auken is also a priest and politician, though since 2014 she has been a member of the Danish Social Liberal Party, unlike her mother. The younger Auken was Minister of the Environment in the Cabinet of Helle Thorning-Schmidt I.

References

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  1. ^ Margrete Auken's biography by European Greens
  2. ^ Members Archived 2019-08-31 at the Wayback Machine European Parliament Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals.
  3. ^ Members 2019-2024 European Parliament Intergroup on Seas, Rivers, Islands and Coastal Areas.
  4. ^ "Valgresultat EP-valg Danmark - Følg resultatet for EP-valget her | DR". www.dr.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  5. ^ "Margrete Auken og Erik A. Nielsen har fejret guldbryllup: Uden humoren var det aldrig gået". 13 July 2018.
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