Kira Marie Peter-Hansen
MEP
Peter-Hansen in 2020
Member of the European Parliament
for Denmark
Assumed office
2 July 2019[1][2]
Personal details
Born (1998-02-23) 23 February 1998 (age 25)
Frederiksberg, Capital Region of Denmark
Political partyGreen Left
Alma materUniversity of Copenhagen (dropped out)
ProfessionPolitician

Kira Marie Peter-Hansen (born 23 February 1998) is a Danish politician. She is a Socialist People's Party (part of the Greens–European Free Alliance group) Member of the European Parliament (MEP) elected in the 2019 European parliamentary election. Peter-Hansen is the youngest ever MEP.

Early life

Kira Marie Peter-Hansen was born on 23 February 1998 in Frederiksberg, Capital Region of Denmark.[3] She grew up in Værløse, Furesø Municipality. Peter-Hansen joined the youth wing of the Socialist People's Party, the Youth of the Socialist People's Party in 2015.[4] Peter-Hansen is a financial officer in the organisation. The party is left-wing, socialist, and supports green policy.[5] Prior to her political career, she also worked as a barista.[6] Peter-Hansen was the campaign manager for Astrid Aller's successful election as Copenhagen councillor in the 2017 Danish local elections.[7][8]

European Parliament

Danish politician Karsten Hønge stood as a candidate for the Socialist People's Party in the 2019 European parliamentary election. He was second on the party's list, and was elected as one of its two MEPs (the other being Margrete Auken) in Denmark. However he chose not to take his seat to seek re-election in the 2019 Danish general election.[9]

Peter-Hansen was nominated to become an MEP, in his place, as she had received the next highest number of votes of any of the party's candidates.[10] At the age of 21 years, 3 months, and 3 days, she is the youngest ever MEP.[11] The previous youngest was the German politician Ilka Schröder who was one month older when she was elected as an Alliance 90/The Greens MEP in the 1999 European parliamentary election.[11][12][13] In order to concentrate on her political career, Peter-Hansen dropped out of her economics course at Copenhagen University.[4]

In the European Parliament, Peter-Hansen is a member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, in which she serves as coordinator for the Greens, and a substitute member of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs.[3] In 2020, she also joined the Subcommittee on Tax Matters.[14]

In addition to her committee assignments, Peter-Hansen is part of the parliament's delegation for relations with India. She is also a member of the European Parliament Intergroup on LGBT Rights[15] and the European Parliament Intergroup on Trade Unions.[16]

Since 2021, Peter-Hansen has been serving as vice-chair of the Greens–European Free Alliance group, under the leadership of co-chairs Ska Keller and Philippe Lamberts.[17]

In September 2022, Peter-Hansen was the recipient of the People's Choice: Best Young Leader Award at The Parliament Magazine's annual MEP Awards[18]

Political positions

Peter-Hansen has described her main priorities in parliament to be to promote environmentally friendly policy, and to renegotiate the Common Agricultural Policy.[19][20][21] Peter-Hansen also advocates for LGBT rights.[22]

References

  1. ^ "Key dates ahead". European Parliament. 20 May 2017. Archived from the original on 25 May 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  2. ^ "Key dates ahead". BBC News. 22 May 2017. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Kira Marie Peter-Hansen". European Parliament. Archived from the original on 18 August 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  4. ^ a b Munk, Lene (3 June 2019). "Vi sms'ede med Kira Peter-Hansen, mens hun tog til Bruxelles og mødte sine nye". Uniavisen (in Danish). Archived from the original on 18 August 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  5. ^ "The Socialist People's Party of Denmark (Socialistisk Folkeparti)". Danish Institute for Parties and Democracy. Archived from the original on 20 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  6. ^ "Declarations" (PDF). European Parliament. 2 July 2019. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 August 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  7. ^ "Kom til Europa-politisk dag den 6 oktober!" (in Danish). Netavis. 2 October 2018. Archived from the original on 20 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  8. ^ "Astrid Aller" (in Danish). Copenhagen Municipality. Archived from the original on 30 May 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  9. ^ "Kira Peter-Hansen får Hønges plads: Jeg er lidt i chok". Berlingske (in Danish). 27 May 2019. Archived from the original on 20 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  10. ^ Nielsen, Mads Korsager; Gram, Kasper Duncan (27 May 2019). "Her er Karsten Hønges 21-årige afløser: Jeg håber, de gamle nisser er søde ved mig" (in Danish). DR. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  11. ^ a b Morgan, Alexander (31 May 2019). "21-year-old Danish student Kira Peter-Hansen becomes youngest MEP in history". Euronews. Archived from the original on 3 June 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  12. ^ "Ilka Schröder". European Parliament. Archived from the original on 18 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  13. ^ "Meet the European Parliament's youngest ever MEP". BBC News. 2 July 2019. Archived from the original on 18 August 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  14. ^ Members of the Subcommittee on Tax Matters European Parliament, press release of 9 July 2020.
  15. ^ Members European Parliament Intergroup on LGBTI Rights
  16. ^ Intergroup on Trade Unions European Parliament.
  17. ^ Nisa Khan (16 December 2021), Movers & Shakers The Parliament Magazine’'.
  18. ^ "MEP Awards: Winners 2022". The Parliament Magazine. 21 September 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  19. ^ Brzozowski, Alexandra (3 July 2019). "Interview with Kira Peter-Hansen, the youngest MEP ever elected". Euractiv. Archived from the original on 18 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  20. ^ "Youngest-ever EU lawmaker takes up the climate challenge". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 18 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  21. ^ Wolf, Thembi (28 June 2019). "Kira ist die jüngste Europaabgeordnete aller Zeiten – wie ist es, 21 und Parlamentarierin zu sein?" (in German). Bento. Archived from the original on 18 August 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  22. ^ Christensen, Maiken Brusgaard (27 May 2019). "21-årig SF'er får plads i EU - dropper studiet og flytter til Bruxelles" (in Danish). TV 2. Archived from the original on 4 June 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
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