At the health authority

Rendi-Wagner nominated as ECDC Director

Former politician Pamela Rendi-Wagner(Bild: zVg, SEPA.Medien/Martin Juen, Krone KREATIV)

Former SPÖ Health Minister Pamela Rendi-Wagner has been nominated as the new Director of the EU's most important health authority, the ECDC. She prevailed against three other people (see video above).

A few days ago, it was announced that the former politician had been shortlisted for the position. On Tuesday evening, she was finally nominated as the new Director of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) by its Management Board. The Board is made up of representatives from the 27 EU member states, three people from the European Commission and two people from the EU Parliament.

Ex-politician Pamela Rendi-Wagner has a new job.(Bild: zVg, SEPA.Medien/Martin Juen, Krone KREATIV)

Already knows the authority
"I am deeply honored and grateful to the Management Board for entrusting me with the role of Director of the ECDC," said Rendi-Wagner in an initial reaction. The term of office as Director - according to information from "Krone", the salary will be 16,000 euros gross per month - is five years and the authority is based in the Swedish capital Stockholm.

After studying medicine, Rendi-Wagner worked in the field of tropical medicine and infectious diseases for almost ten years. From 2011 to 2017, she was Director General for Public Health in Austria. During this time, she served on the ECDC Board of Directors for six years. The agency is responsible for the prevention of and fight against infectious diseases in the EU. She played a central role in the fight against Covid-19.

"Combines expertise and political experience"
In order for Rendi-Wagner to be officially appointed, she still needs the approval of the European Parliament. To do so, she must make a statement and answer questions from MEPs. "Pamela Rendi-Wagner combines medical expertise on infectious diseases and political experience, which is enormously important for the leadership of an international authority," Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) are convinced.

"In addition to her many years of political experience, her extensive technical expertise in the field of epidemiology is impressive and she also has the necessary management skills. I am convinced that Pamela Rendi-Wagner will make a major contribution to the health of people in Europe and wish her every success in this important role," said Rauch in a press release about one of his predecessors. According to Schallenberg, this will be the third EU agency under Austrian management.

Here you can see congratulations from SPÖ Member of the National Council Mario Lindner.

Congratulations on social media
A few minutes after the announcement of Rendi-Wagner's nomination, the first congratulations were also posted on social media. For example, SPÖ women's spokesperson Eva-Maria Holzleitner wrote on the X platform that she could not imagine a more qualified woman. "Back to the roots", wrote some other X users. Criticism came from the FPÖ, whose General Secretary Michael Schnedlitz sees the supply of a "system post".

Rendi-Wagner is to succeed the German doctor Andrea Ammon in the post, who is retiring in June.