Political groups

1987-1999: Group of the European People's Party (Christian-Democratic Group)
1999-2004: Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats

National parties

1987-2004: Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands

Biography

Diemut R. Theato was born in Kleinröhrsdorf, Dresden. After finishing her schooling in West Berlin, Theato completed a one-year study and examination period abroad in England for expatriates at the University of Cambridge. From 1956 to 1960, Theato studied English and Portuguese at the Institute of Interpreters of the University of Heidelberg with law as a subject. During her studies, she studied in England, Portugal and France. From 1960 to 1987, she worked as an interpreter and translator. 

From 1975 to 1987, Diemut R. Theato was a member of the Waldhilsbach Local Council and from 1980 to 1987, she was head of the Council. In 1977, she was elected Chair of the Rhine-Neckar Women’s Union. From 1979 to 1987, she was a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Regional Executive of the Women’s Union Baden-Württemberg. From 1981 to 2001, she was district Vice-Chair of the Rhine-Neckar CDU. From 1981 to 1989, she was a member of the district council of the CDU Nordbaden. From 1981 to 1992, she worked in the Education Commission of the Women’s Section Europe of the CDU/CSU (European Women’s Union). From 1985 to 1990, she was the district chair of the Europa-Union Rhein-Neckar. 

Outside of politics, Diemut R. Theato was Chair of the Waldhilsbach German Red Cross (DRK) Association from 1980 to 2001 and member of the Neckargmünd Social Station Management Committee. From 1991 to 2007, she was President of the DRK Rhine-Neckar/Heidelberg district association. Her initiative enabled the DRK to conclude a partnership agreement with the Women’s and Children’s Clinic in Timișoara, Romania

Handover of the annual report concerning the financial year 2001. L-R: European Parliament President Pat Cox, Diemut R. Theato, European Court of Auditors President Juan Manuel Fabra Vallés © European Communities 2002

In 1987, Diemut R. Theato became a Member of the European Parliament, following the resignation of Wilhelm F.T. Hahn. She was a member of the Bureau of the Group of the European People's Party (EPP) and a member of the Committee on Budgets, among other committees and delegations, and was Chair of the Committee on Budgetary Control from 1994 to 2004. 

From 1989 she was a member of the Regional Executive of the CDU Baden-Württemberg, becoming the Deputy Chairperson in 1991.

She was a Vice-President of the Fondation du Mérite Européen.

Theato has received several awards, including the Federal Cross of Merit (1995), the Federal Cross of Merit 1st class (2002) and the Steuerpreis 2000 from the Taxpayer’s Association of Europe. She is also the recipient of honorary doctorates from the University of Urbino, Italy (1995), and the West University of Timișoara, Romania (1998).

German MEPs are awarded the 'Bundesverdienstkreuz' (Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany). L-R: Ingo Friedrich, Hans-Gert Pöttering, Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler, Willi Görlach, Mechtild Rothe, Diemut R. Theato, Christa Klass, Thomas Mann © European Communities 2002

In 1994 she published “Das Europäische Parlament und der Haushalt der Europäischen Gemeinschaft,” co-written with Rainer Graf. 

For more information on her time as an MEP, click here. 

What's in the archives?

The fonds is structured in four main series: public figure, parliamentary activity, political activity and thematic files. 

The series “public figure” contains documents regarding different articles, interviews and press communicates drafted by Diemut R. Theato.

The parliamentary activity contains documents concerning her work in the Committee on Budget (1999) and the Committee on Budgetary Control (1999-2004), her activity as member of the Temporary committee of Inquiry into the Community Transit System (1995-1997), plenary speeches, oral interventions, press releases, written and oral questions, reports, notes, minutes, amendments, etc. We can also find documents here concerning the protection of financial interests, budget, juridical issues (antifraud, criminal law etc), and various speeches as chair of the Committee on Budgetary Control and as a member of the EPP Group from the period 1991 to 2005.

The political activity series contains documents related to her initiatives as member of the EPP Group and national party CDU (Germany).

The thematic files concern OLAF reform and OLAF Supervisory Committee activity (1999-2004) and women in politics.