A long-time EU expert Anne Kemppainen, 39, has been appointed to the cabinet of the European Council President Herman Van Rompuy.
Kemppainen was chosen to the post from among 29 applicants. She will commence her work in the cabinet on February 1st.
“My experience from both Finland and the EU bodies must have worked to my advantage in the selection process”, Kemppainen reckoned on Tuesday.
Most recently Kemppainen has worked in the European Council’s Secretariat dealing with the prevention of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and in the Union’s new European External Action Service (EEAS) under High Representative Catherine Ashton.
Kemppainen also has experience from diplomatic work in Vienna and in Finland’s permanent EU representation.
Kemppainen has also acted as MEP Heidi Hautala’s (Green League) parliamentary assistant.
Kemppainen does not yet have a clear picture of the details of her new job:
“I will find out later. I will be placed in the External Relations Team.”
Those who know Kemppainen in Brussels describe her as "a tough professional” and “a person who does five people’s work”.
BelgianVan Rompuy’s official title is the President of the European Council, but he is commonly referred to as "European President".
Van Rompuy is one of the key users of power within the EU, even though officially the European Council President’s main task is to act as a mediator between the views of different member-states.
There are twenty or so members in Van Rompuy’s cabinet, all of whom have their own monitoring field.
Around a year ago another Finn, Timo Ranta was already appointed to the cabinet.
