During its 25th General Assembly, held on 22 June, Club de Madrid Members unanimously approved the election of Jan Peter Balkenende (Prime Minister of the Netherlands, 2002–2010), Mari Johanna Kiviniemi (Prime Minister of Finland, 2010–2011) and Mokgweetsi Masisi (President of Botswana, 2018–2024) to the organisation’s Board of Directors.
They succeed Joyce Banda (Malawi), Yves Leterme (Belgium), and Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga (Latvia), whose terms on the Board have come to an end after years of dedicated service to the organisation. Club de Madrid expresses its sincere gratitude for their leadership, commitment and invaluable contributions to advancing the organisation’s mission of strengthening democratic leadership worldwide.
Jan Peter Balkenende, who joined Club de Madrid in 2019, brings extensive experience in European governance and coalition-building. During his terms as Prime Minister of the Netherlands, he guided the country through a period marked by significant political and economic challenges while playing an active role in shaping European Union debates.
Mari Kiviniemi became a Member of Club de Madrid in 2025. In addition to serving as Prime Minister of Finland, she was Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD, where she worked to advance international cooperation on economic resilience, digital transformation and sustainable growth. Her experience at both national and multilateral levels strengthens the organisation’s capacity to address the governance challenges facing democracies today.
Mokgweetsi Masisi joined Club de Madrid in 2026 following his presidency of Botswana. Throughout his time in office, he reinforced Botswana’s longstanding reputation for democratic stability and good governance. His leadership and perspective will further enrich the organisation’s engagement across the African continent and beyond.
The election of these three distinguished leaders reflects Club de Madrid’s continued commitment to further strengthen the diversity of expertise and regional representation that characterises the world’s largest forum of democratic former Presidents and Prime Ministers.
