Name: Lena Hjelm-Wallén (Sweden)
Title: Chairperson of International IDEA
Education: Master’s degree from the University of Uppsala. Honorary doctorate from Umeå University.
Current and Previous Positions:MsHjelm-Wallén served as Sweden’s Deputy Prime Minister (1998-2002) and as its Minister for Foreign Affairs (1994-1998). During her 20 years in the Swedish Cabinet she held also positions as Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs and Minister with Special Responsibility for the International Development Cooperation. From 1969 to 2002 she was a Member of Parliament. From 1987 to 2001, she was an Executive Committee Member of the Social Democratic Party, and from 1996 to 2004 a Presidium Member of the Party of European Socialists. She chairs the European Forum for Democracy and Solidarity.
She was a Member of the Convention on the Future of the European Union from 2002 to 2003.
Ms Hjelm-Wallén chairs several institutions: International IDEA, the Olof Palme International Center, the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, the Forum for Living History and the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research. She is a board member of the Raoul Wallenberg Institute and International Crisis Group.
She is chairperson in the parliamentary committee on labour force migration to Sweden and a member of the parliamentary committee on constitutional issues.
Ms Hjelm-Wallén is married, has one daughter and three grandchildren.
