New head of Europe’s umbrella organisation for social security

On 4 December 2019, the members of the European Social Insurance Platform (ESIP) elected their new President, Ilka Wölfle, during their General Assembly. The platform brings together 50 different social security organisations from 18 Member States and Switzerland.

Wölfle is the first woman to take office since ESIP was founded in 1996. She succeeds Arnaud Emériau, who held the position for the last three years and will now serve as Vice-President.

Wölfle, born in the year 1977, brings with her a broad range of European political expertise in the fields of European social and health policy. Since 2016, she has been Director of the European Representation of the German Social Insurance in Brussels, representing the interests of the umbrella organisations of Germany’s social insurance system at European level.

She started working at the European Representation of the German Social Insurance in 2007 as the representative for the German Social Accident Insurance. Prior to that she was with the German Bar Association in Brussels.

Following her election, Wölfle expressed her wish to continue working closely with European social security institutions to tackle the major challenges they will face in the future. Social security in Europe in facing some complex issues such as Brexit, the changing world of work, the development of new forms of work, digitalisation and the use of artificial intelligence.

Wölfle said: ‘It is a great honour for me to continue the work of ESIP. We want to continue to be seen as an important and valued partner on the European stage’. ESIP will play a decisive role in Europe’s future.