The first days of autumn brought a wave of changes at the lead of education ministries in Europe – all the result of democratic processes, nonetheless. As of 7 October 2009, Anna Diamantopoulou is the new Greek Minister for Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs. A member of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) – winner of the recent elections in Greece – Diamantopoulou is a civil engineer by training and a former EU Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs.

Also a new education minister – in the recently appointed Portuguese government, led by Mr José S?crates – is Maria de Lurdes Rodrigues. Rodrigues is a sociologist and a professor at ISCTE (Higher Institute of Business and Labour Sciences), with many reformist policies on the agenda, rumour has it.

Elections took place in Germany as well, but without any changes at the lead of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Annette Schavan receiving a new mandate as the federal ‘Ms Education’. The same goes for Tora Aasland, reconfirmed as the Norwegian Minister of Higher Education and Research.