Maria João RODRIGUES

FEPS President

Since 2017, Maria João Rodrigues is the President of the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), the only progressive think tank at the European level, formed by forty-one national member foundations across Europe.

Maria João Rodrigues former Portuguese minister of Prime Minister Antonio Guterres – is a European politician with a long track in all European institutions: EU Presidencies, Council, European Council, European Commission and, more recently, European Parliament. She played a relevant role in several big European initiatives: the EU growth and jobs strategy, the Lisbon Treaty, the Eurozone reform, the European Social Pillar, the interface with EU external strategic partners and the Roadmap for the EU’s future.

Recently, she was Vice-President of S&D Group in the European Parliament, a parliamentary group with 189 members from all Member States, where she was in charge of the coordination of the parliamentary work and the inter-institutional negotiation on the EU agenda.

As an academic, she is full professor and was the Chair of the European Commission Board for socio-economic research. She has around one hundred publications and as expert and politician, has done more than two thousands conferences across Europe and the world.

Short CV | Long CV | Website

Find all publications by Maria João RODRIGUES
Publications
29/01/2025

Progressive Yearbook 2025

2024 was announced as a ‘super election’ year. In fact, about half of the world’s […]
19/04/2024

A New Global Deal

Reforming world governance
24/01/2024

Progressive Yearbook 2024

Looking back to look ahead
13/11/2023

EU Treaties – Why they need targeted changes

An approach based on European public goods, citizenship and democracy
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Find all Progressive Post by Maria João RODRIGUES
Progressive Post
24/04/2025

Multilateralism between shock and rebirth

Reflections on the International Day of Multilateralism
28/01/2025

Trump 2.0’s world and European responsibilities

Faced with a comprehensive agenda which can shift the direction of the world, a democratic […]
08/01/2025

Europe in 2025: from disquiet to ambition

The ongoing debate about what this new year will bring expresses a generalised disquiet. Yes, […]
23/09/2024

A summit of the future in New York

Is it still possible to reform global governance? Despite many difficulties – Trumpism in the […]
29/05/2024

Priorities for the next EU legislature

Over the upcoming five years, the European Union will cope with very different and challenging […]
25/04/2024

25 April, a very special democratic revolution

A personal memoir
04/01/2024

Jacques Delors and a new European impulse

What would Jacques Delors say today about the way forward for Europe? When a major […]
14/11/2023

Europe in times of wars

In these times of wars, Europe will have to reinvent itself if it wants to […]
07/06/2023

The West in the minority or the reform of global governance

The signs of crisis in the system of global governance created after the Second World […]
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Find all events with Maria João RODRIGUES
Events
04 - 06/11/2025
Doha, Qatar

Rethinking pre-distribution and fiscal policies to advance social justice

Solutions session during the Second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD)
13/10/2025
FEPS HQ (Expert meeting)

Investment capacity in the MFF proposal

EU Investment Capacity Group 2025
17/10/2025
Amsterdam, Netherlands

FEPS at PES Congress 2025

The PES Congress 2025 was a crucial gathering for progressives and civil society to tackle […]
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News
27/11/2025

FEPS President Maria João Rodrigues at the T20 South Africa Summit in Johannesburg

Organised by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), the Institute for Global Dialogue […]
27/02/2025

European roundtable of Progressive think tanks

The European progressive way in the face of Trump's and the far-right agenda
07/02/2025

FEPS President on the European car industry and the Competitive Compass on Euronews ‘Brussels, my love?’

FEPS President Maria João Rodrigues took part in the Euronews talk show ‘Brussels, my love?‘ […]
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Find all in the media about Maria João RODRIGUES
In the media

« La souveraineté numérique européenne est un défi d’ordre civilisationnel »

by Le Monde 15/11/2025
"European digital sovereignty is a challenge for civilisation as a whole". In an opinion piece in the newspaper Le Monde, FEPS President Maria João Rodrigues shares her concerns about European digital dependence on American and Asian giants

Líderes progresistas internacionales se reunieron en Buenos Aires para ponerle un freno al avance de la extrema derecha

by Mi Valle 23/09/2025
“International progressive leaders met in Buenos Aires to push back against the rise of the far right” News article in Mi Valle reporting on the meeting of progressive leaders from Europe and Latin America in Buenos Aires, where FEPS President Maria João Rodrigues took part, stressing the need to build common strategies to defend democracy and social justice against the far right.

Kit de sobrevivência gera polémica na Europa

by Euronews PT 06/04/2025
On Euronews' "Bruxelas, meu amor?", FEPS President Maria João Rodrigues discusses the Preparedness Strategy, tariffs from the USA, and cost of travel to Strasbourg.

António Vitorino prepara política externa dos socialistas

by RTP 31/03/2025
"António Vitorino prepares the Socialists' foreign policy" This article by RTP highlights FEPS President Maria João Rodrigues as one of the speakers in the debate where the PS will update its electoral programme.

O mundo de Trump 2.0 e as responsabilidades europeias

by Público 03/02/2025
'The world of Trump 2.0 and the European responsibilities' article by FEPS President Maria João Rodrigues at Público.
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Find all audiovisual with Maria João RODRIGUES
Audiovisual

‘Financing our future: Towards the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development’ Flickr album

Photo album of the ‘Financing our future: Towards the 4th International Conference on Financing for […]

Trade, trust and transition Flickr album

Photo album of the ‘Trade, trust and transition’ expert meeting in Washington DC, USA. On […]

‘Day of Progressive Economic Policy 2025’ Flickr album

Photo album of the ‘Day of Progressive Economic Policy 2025‘ in Berlin. FEPS, in partnership […]
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