Ska Keller | |
|---|---|
 Keller in 2022 | |
| Leader of theGreens–European Free Alliance in theEuropean Parliament | |
| In office 14 December 2016 – 12 October 2022 Serving with Philippe Lamberts | |
| Preceded by | Rebecca Harms |
| Succeeded by | Terry Reintke |
| Leader ofAlliance 90/The Greens inBrandenburg | |
| In office 12 November 2007 – 14 November 2009 Serving with Axel Vogel | |
| Preceded by | Kahrin Vohland |
| Succeeded by | Annalena Baerbock |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office 1 July 2009 – 15 July 2024 | |
| Constituency | Germany |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Franziska Maria Keller (1981-11-22)22 November 1981 (age 43) |
| Political party | Alliance 90/The Greens |
| Spouse | Markus Drake |
| Alma mater | Free University of Berlin |
| Website | ska-keller |
Franziska Maria "Ska"Keller (German:[ˈskaːˈkɛlɐ]; born 22 November 1981) is a German politician and was member of theEuropean Parliament for theGermany constituency from 2009 to 2024. She is a member of theAlliance 90/The Greens, part of theEuropean Green Party.[1]
From 2016 to 2022, Keller served as co-president of theGreens/EFA group in theEuropean Parliament. She has been a member of theCommittee on Fisheries (PECH) as well as theCommittee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). She was the European Greens' frontrunner during theEuropean elections 2014 together withJosé Bové and has been elected to lead them again for theEuropean elections 2019, together with DutchmanBas Eickhout.[2] She served three terms as an MEP (2009–2024), first elected into the European Parliament at the age of 27 in 2009.
Keller studiedIslamic studies,Turkish andJewish Studies atFree University of Berlin and atSabancı University 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]
In 2001, Keller joined theGreen Youth and served as spokesperson of theFederation of Young European Greens from 2005 to 2007. From 2007 to 2009, she led the Green Party in Brandenburg having joined theGerman Green party in 2002. InBrandenburg, she campaigned for a statewide referendum against new coal mines.
During her first term (2009–2014), Keller served on theCommittee on Development from 2009 to 2012. From 2012 to 2014, she was a member of theCommittee 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 withTurkey.
In her second term (2014–2019), Keller became co-president of theGreens/EFA group in theEuropean 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 theCariforum.[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 theNorthern Part of the Island (CYTR).[7]
Keller has been a leading candidate of theEuropean Green Party for theEuropean elections in 2014 as well as in2019. In January 2014, she won theGreen Primary, a pan-Europeanopen primary.[8] On 24 November 2018, Keller was elected leading candidate for the second time, together withBas Eickhout.[2]
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In July 2019, Keller announced she would be a candidate for thepresidency of the European Parliament.[9]Sira Rigo of theGUE/NGL,David-Maria Sassoli of theS&D andJan Zahradil of theECR also ran for the post, with Sassoli eventually winning with the support of 345 out of a total of 667 MEPs.[10][11]
In September 2022, Keller announced her resignation as co-chair of her party's group and her decision not to run again in the2024 elections.[12]
Keller is known for her commitment to fighting corruption in theEuropean Union.[14] In February 2018, she participated in protests in Sofia against corruption in Bulgaria.[15]
In September 2019, European Commission President-electUrsula von der Leyen created the new position of "Vice President forProtecting our European Way of Life", who will be responsible for upholding the rule-of-law, internal security and migration.[16] 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."[17]
Keller is married to Finnish politicianMarkus Drake [fi].[18]
She abbreviated her first name from Franziska to Ska by omitting the first part ('Franzi-').[19]
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