Today, Maria Blassar has been appointed as the new Head of the European Commission’s Representation in Helsinki.
In this function, she will act as the official representative of the European Commission in Finland under the political authority of President Ursula von der Leyen. She will take office on September 1, 2022.
Maria Blassar, a Finnish national, has pursued a career of over 25 years in European, Finnish and EFTA institutions, including over 10 years in the Commissions’ Representations in two Nordic capitals – Helsinki and Stockholm. Currently, she is a Head of Press and Media Team, acting as a Spokesperson for the Commission’s Representation in Sweden.
Prior to this, she was Acting Head of Representation, deputy Head of Representation and Head of Political Reporting Team in Helsinki. In her new position in Finland, she will benefit from her thorough understanding of the EU, its decision-making processes and the political priorities of the Commission. She has also acquired a deep knowledge of the Finnish and international media and excellent communication and representation skills.
She worked from 2003 until 2011 as a Counsellor in the Finnish Prime Minister’s Office, responsible for a broad range of strategic European files. Before that, she was acting Head of Unit and an administrator in the Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition. Maria Blassar holds a Master of Science in European Studies of the London School of Economics and a Master of Social Studies of the University of Helsinki. The Commission maintains Representations in all capitals of EU Member States, and Regional Offices in Barcelona, Bonn, Marseille, Milan, Munich and Wroclaw. The press release is available online.