Chrysoula Zacharopoulou (born 7 May 1976) is a Greek-French gynaecologist[3] and politician who served as Minister of State for Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships in the governments of successive Prime Ministers Élisabeth Borne and Gabriel Attal from 2022 to 2024. A member of La République En Marche! (LREM), she previously was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2019 to 2022.[4]
Chrysoula Zacharopoulou | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Chrysoula Zacharopoulou in 2023 | |
| Minister Delegate for Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships | |
| In office 20 May 2022 – 21 September 2024 | |
| President | Emmanuel Macron |
| Prime Minister | Élisabeth Borne Gabriel Attal |
| Preceded by | Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne |
| Succeeded by | Thani Mohamed Soilihi |
| Member of the European Parliament for France | |
| In office 2 July 2019[1][2] – 20 May 2022 | |
| Succeeded by | Max Orville |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 May 1976 Sparta, Peloponnese, Greece |
| Nationality | French |
| Political party | La Republique En Marche! |
| Alma mater | Sapienza University of Rome |
Education and early career
editZacharopoulou was born into a military family in Sparta, Peloponnese, Greece.[5] Trained in minimally invasive procedure, she received her PhD in endometriosis at the Sapienza University of Rome in Italy. From 2007, she lived in France. Before entering politics, she worked at the Bégin Military Teaching Hospital in Saint-Mandé, near Paris.[6]
In 2015, Zacharopoulou joined forces with French actress Julie Gayet on establishing Info-Endométriose, a non-profit raising awareness for endometriosis.[7]
Political career
editMember of the European Parliament, 2019–2022
editZacharopoulou became a Member of the European Parliament in the 2019 elections. From 2019 to 2022, she was a vice-chair of the Committee on Development and the parliament's rapporteur on the Africa-EU partnership.[8] In 2022, she briefly joined the Special Committee on the COVID-19 pandemic.[9][10]
In addition to her committee assignments, Zacharopoulou was part of the Parliament's delegation to the ACP–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.[11] She was also a member of the MEPs Against Cancer group;[12] European Parliament Intergroup on Cancer;[13] the European Parliament Intergroup on LGBT Rights;[14] the European Parliament Intergroup on Disability;[15] and of the European Parliament Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals.[16]
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Zacharopoulou returned to practicing for several days a week at the Bégin Military Teaching Hospital in March 2020.[17]
From April 2021, Zacharopoulou co-chaired the Shareholders Council of COVAX, alongside Fernando Ruiz Gómez.[18][19] In this capacity, she was part of the delegation accompanying President Emmanuel Macron on his state visit to Rwanda and South Africa in May 2021. In November 2021, the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council followed a proposal of Josep Borrell and appointed Zacharopoulou as its focal person to strengthen coordination among EU member states and accelerate efforts on sharing COVID-19 vaccine doses, especially in Africa.[20] In December, she accompanied President of the European Council Charles Michel and France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian on official trips to Senegal.
Minister of State for Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships, 2022–2024
editIn October 2023, Zacharopoulou participated in the first joint cabinet retreat of the German and French governments in Hamburg, chaired by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Emmanuel Macron.[21][22]
Political positions
editIn 2020, Zacharopoulou publicly criticized Vice-President of the European Commission Dubravka Šuica for having taken "disturbing positions" in the past by voting against motions on sexual and reproductive health and rights.[23]
Rape allegations
editIn June 2022, it was reported that French prosecutors were investigating accusations that Zacharopoulou raped two of her former gynaecological patients. The former patients filed lawsuits in May and June 2022 alleging that Zacharopoulou carried out vaginal and rectal examinations without their consent, in January and June 2016.[24][25] At the beginning of April 2023, all three investigations were closed.[26]
References
edit- ^ "Key dates ahead". European Parliament. 20 May 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ "Key dates ahead". BBC News. 22 May 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ Simon Osborne (28 March 2019), Macron ally who mocked Brexit with cat gag to lead France's European elections campaign Daily Express.
- ^ CAZENAVE, Fabien (27 May 2019). "Parlement européen. Qui sont les 79 eurodéputés élus en France ?". Ouest-France.fr (in French). Retrieved 4 March 2020.
- ^ Ismaël El Bou-Cottereau (21 January 2022), Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, la macroniste qui a un plan contre l’endométriose Le Monde.
- ^ Emmanuelle Jowa (17 March 2018), Julie Gayet et Chrysoula Zacharapoulou: Endométriose, l’érosion d’un tabou Paris Match.
- ^ Emmanuelle Jowa (17 March 2018), Julie Gayet et Chrysoula Zacharapoulou: Endométriose, l’érosion d’un tabou Paris Match.
- ^ Lorna Hutchinson (17 June 2020), Chrysoula Zacharopoulou interview: Celebrating diversity The Parliament Magazine.
- ^ Members of the Special Committee on the COVID-19 pandemic European Parliament.
- ^ Parliament names MEPs to sit on three new committees European Parliament, press release of 24 March 2022.
- ^ Chrysoula Zacharopoulou European Parliament.
- ^ MAC MEPs in the 2019–24 legislature Archived 16 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine MEPs Against Cancer.
- ^ Intergroup European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC).
- ^ Members European Parliament Intergroup on LGBTI Rights.
- ^ Bureau of the Disability Intergroup of the European Parliament is established European Disability Forum, press release of 14 February 2020.
- ^ Members Archived 31 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine European Parliament Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals.
- ^ Aline Robert (3 April 2020), Being a doctor is quite a commitment, says MEP working on the ‘front line’ EURACTIV.
- ^ Eva Moysan (11 April 2021), Interview: «Covax est un mécanisme de coopération qui correspond totalement aux valeurs européennes» Libération.
- ^ Colombia será copresidente del mecanismo COVAX Ministry of Health and Social Protection, press release of 14 April 2021.
- ^ Foreign Affairs Council (Development), 19 November 2021 Council of the European Union, press release of 19 November 2021.
- ^ Sarah Marsh and Andreas Rinke (9 October 2023), Germany, France hold unprecedented cabinet retreat to oil creaky EU motor Reuters.
- ^ Erste deutsch-französische Kabinettsklausur: Zukunftsfragen und Weltpolitik diskutiert Cabinet of Germany, press release of 10 October 2023.
- ^ Jennifer Rankin (2 March 2020), Dubravka Šuica: the woman tasked with solving EU's demographic crisis The Guardian.
- ^ Sage, Adam (23 June 2022). Written at Paris. "French minister Chrysoula Zacharopoulou accused of 'invasive' gynaecological examinations". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 23 June 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ "Chrysoula Zacharopoulou: Newly appointed French minister accused of rape by two women". Sky News. 22 June 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ "L'enquête pour violences gynécologiques visant la secrétaire d'Etat Chrysoula Zacharopoulou classée sans suite". Le Monde.fr (in French). 4 April 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.