Albania •
Ben Blushi (1969–): Politician, former minister, writer and journalist. •
Dritëro Agolli (1931–2017): Poet, writer and politician. •
Diana Çuli (1951–): Writer, journalist and politician. •
Gilman Bakalli (1967–2016): Professor, politician, pundit, and writer. •
Enver Hoxha (1908–1985): Communist ruler who declared Albania the first
atheist state, and who has been identified as an "arch-atheist." •
Hysen Hoxha (1861–1934) Politician, mayor of
Gjirokastër, part of the Gjirokastra delegation for the
Assembly of Vlorë.
Belgium •
Elio Di Rupo (1951–):
Belgian politician,
social democratic Belgian prime minister between 2011 and 2014, describes himself as an atheist, rationalist and Freemason. •
Fientje Moerman (1958–): liberal politician and currently judge on the
Constitutional Court of Belgium. •
Karel De Gucht (1954–): European Commissioner between 2009 and 2014. •
Dirk Verhofstadt (1955-): Belgian social liberal theorist. •
Siegfried Bracke (1953–): President of the
Chamber of Representatives between 2014 and 2019.
Czech Republic •
Petr Pavel (1961–):
Czech politician and former
army general who is the current
president of the Czech Republic; previously served as
Chairman of the NATO Military Committee from 2015 to 2018, and as the
Chief of the General Staff of the
Czech Armed Forces from 2012 to 2015.
Denmark •
Edvard Brandes (1847–1931): Politician, critic and author, Minister of Finance 1909–1910 and 1913–1920. •
Thorvald Stauning (1873–1943): Prime minister 1924–1926 and 1929–1942. •
Vilhelm Buhl (1881–1954): Prime minister May–November 1942 and May–November 1945. •
Hans Hedtoft (1903–1955): Prime minister 1947–1950 and 1953–55. •
H. C. Hansen (1906–1960): Prime minister 1955–1960. •
Jens Otto Krag (1914–1978): Prime minister 1962–1968 and 1971–1972.
Finland •
Erkki Tuomioja (1946–): politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs 2011–2015. •
Rosa Meriläinen (1975–): politician and author. •
Jussi Halla-aho (1971–): Leader of the
Finns Party and
Member of the European Parliament (MEP).
France •
Jeannette Bougrab (1973–): Lawyer and politician. •
Georges Clemenceau (1841–1929): Statesman, physician and journalist, prime minister of France 1906–1909 and 1917–1920. Led France during World War I and was one of the major proponents of the Treaty of Versailles. •
Simone de Beauvoir (1908–1986): French writer, philosopher, political activist, feminist, socialist, and social theorist. •
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809–1865): Politician, mutualist philosopher and socialist. He was a member of the French Parliament, and he was the first person to call himself an "anarchist". •
Gilbert Romme (1750–1795): Politician and mathematician who developed the French Republican Calendar. •
Marie-Jean Hérault de Séchelles (1759–1794): 4th and 24th
President of the National Convention. First known atheist head of state ever. •
François Hollande (1954–): President of France. •
Aristide Briand (1862–1932): French statesman who served eleven terms as Prime Minister of France during the
French Third Republic. •
Anne Hidalgo (1959–): Spanish-French politician who has been serving as Mayor of Paris since 2014. •
Clémence Royer (1830–1920): French scholar who lectured and wrote on economics, philosophy, science, and feminism.
Germany •
Sabine Jünger (1973–): German politician for
The Left Party.PDS. •
Willibald Hentschel (1858–1947): German agrarian and volkisch writer and political activist. •
Martin Bormann (1900–1945): Nazi official and right-hand man of
Adolf Hitler. •
Friedrich Engels (1820–1895): 19th-century philosopher and political scientist, often regarded as the co-founder of Communism. •
Erich Honecker (1912–1994): Communist politician and leader of
East Germany. •
Karl Marx (1818–1883): 19th-century philosopher, political economist, sociologist, political theorist, often called the father of Communism. •
Friedrich Ebert (1871–1925): German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the first
president of Germany from 1919 until his death in office in 1925. •
Alfred Rosenberg (1893–1946): Nazi official and leader of
NSDAP Office of Foreign Affairs. •
Ali Al-Dailami (1981–): A German-Yemeni politician from DIE LINKE. •
Joseph Goebbels (1897–1945): Nazi official and propaganda minister; he criticized organized religion in his writings and has often been declared an antitheist. •
Kurt Schumacher (1895–1952): Social democratic politician who served as chairman of the
Social Democratic Party of Germany from 1946 and was the first
Leader of the Opposition in the West German
Bundestag from 1949 until his death. •
Carl Vogt (1817–1895): German scientist, philosopher, popularizer of science, and politician who emigrated to Switzerland. •
Julius Streicher (1885–1946): Nazi official. •
Olaf Scholz (1958–): German politician from the Social Democratic Party that is former
chancellor of Germany. •
Walter Ulbricht (1893–1973): Communist politician and leader of
East Germany. •
Albert Speer (1905–1981): Nazi official., was communed during Nuremberg Trials though authenticity is debated. •
Sahra Wagenknecht (1969–):
Left-wing politician (
Die Linke) •
Johann Most (1846–1906):
German-American Social Democratic and then
anarchist politician, newspaper editor, and orator. •
Adolf Eichmann (1906–1962): Nazi official. •
Gregor Gysi (1948–): Lawyer and
Member of the German Bundestag (Die Linke)
Greece •
Alexis Tsipras (1974–): Leader of
Syriza and
Prime Minister of Greece from 26 January 2015 to 8 July 2019. •
Yanis Varoufakis (1961–):
Minister of Finance from 27 January 2015 to 6 July 2015.
Ireland •
Clare Daly (1968–): Former
Teachta Dála and MEP •
Jim Kemmy (1936–1997): Socialist politician. •
Ivana Bacik (1968–): Politician, current
Teachta Dála and
Leader of the Labour Party, former
Senator and
Deputy Leader of the Seanad. •
Proinsias De Rossa (1940–): Politician, former President of the
Workers' Party, leader of
Democratic Left, and later a senior member of the
Labour Party. •
Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington (1877–1946):
Suffragist and nationalist. •
Owen Sheehy-Skeffington (1909–1970): University lecturer and Senator. •
William Thompson (1775–1833): Socialist and economist. •
Joe Higgins (1949–): Socialist Party politician. In the 2011 general election he was elected to Dáil Éireann as Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin West constituency, having previously served in that capacity from 1997 to 2007.[1] He was also a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Dublin constituency from 2009 to 2011, the first Socialist Party MEP.
Italy •
Giorgio Napolitano (1925–2023): politician, 11th president of Italy. •
Sandro Pertini (1896–1990): politician, 7th president of Italy. •
Giuseppe Saragat (1898–1988): politician, 5th president of Italy. •
Massimo D'Alema (1949–): politician, 53rd prime minister 1998–2000, minister of foreign affairs and deputy prime minister in the
Prodi II Cabinet 2006–2008. •
Giuliano Ferrara (1952–): politician, journalist, and occasional talk show host. •
Antonio Gramsci (1891-1936): Marxist philospher and founding member and one time leader of the
Italian Communist Party. •
Nilde Iotti (1920–1999): politician, the first woman to become president of the Italian Chamber of Deputies for three consecutive legislatures 1979–1992. •
Pietro Nenni (1891–1980): politician, the leader of
Italian Socialist Party 1931–1945 and 1949–1963, deputy prime minister (
Moro I,
II and
III cabinet), minister of foreign affairs (
De Gasperi II cabinet,
Rumor I cabinet) •
Benito Mussolini (1883–1945): fascist dictator of Italy. •
Palmiro Togliatti (1893–1964): politician, the leader of
Italian Communist Party from 1927 to his death in 1964. •
Enrico Berlinguer (1922-1984): politician, leader of
Italian Communist Party from 1972 to his death in 1984. •
Emma Bonino (1948–): politician, European Commissioner 1995–1999, minister of foreign trade and European affairs 2006–2008, Deputy Speaker of Italian Senate 2008–2013 and Minister of Foreign Affairs 2013–2014.
The Netherlands •
Jetta Klijnsma (1957–): Dutch politician from the Labour Party serving as the
King's Commissioner of
Drenthe since 2017. •
Clara Wichmann (1885–1922): German–Dutch lawyer, writer, anarcho-syndicalist, feminist, and atheist. •
Renske Leijten (1979–): Politician of the
Socialist Party and a member of the House of Representatives since 2006. •
Thierry Baudet (1983–): Dutch politician, academic, author, founder, and leader of
Forum for Democracy (FvD), and has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2017. •
Ronald Plasterk (1957–): Politician of the
Labour Party (PvdA) and former molecular geneticist. He is
Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in the
Cabinet Rutte II and was previously
Minister of Education, Culture and Science from February 22, 2007, until February 23, 2010, in the
Cabinet Balkenende IV. •
Lousewies van der Laan (1966–): Retired Dutch politician of the
Democrats 66 (D66) party and jurist. •
Stephan van Baarle (1991–): Politician of the
DENK party, serving as a member of the House of Representatives since 2021 and has been serving on the
Rotterdam municipal council since 2018. •
Geert Wilders (1963–): Dutch businessman and politician that has been the Leader of the
Party for Freedom (Partij voor de Vrijheid – PVV) since he founded it in 2006.
Poland •
Władysław Gomułka (1905–1982): Communist leader. •
Aleksander Kwaśniewski (1954–): former
President of Poland (1995–2005). •
Zbigniew Religa (1938–2009): prominent
cardiac surgeon, pioneer in human heart
transplantation and a
Minister of Health of the
Republic of Poland. •
Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz (1950–): former
Prime Minister of Poland (1996-1997) •
Leszek Miller (1946–): Prime Minister of Poland (2001-2004) •
Kazimierz Kutz (1929–2018): filmmaker, writer, academic,
Senator (1997-2007, 2011–2015) and
Sejm member (2007-2011) •
Jacek Kuroń (1934–2004): political activist, presidential candidate, Minister of Labour and Social Policy (1989-1990, 1992–1993) and
Sejm member (1989-2001) •
Mariusz Kamiński (1965–): Minister of the Interior and Administration (2019-) •
Michał Kamiński (1972–):
MEP (2004–2007, 2009–2014),
Sejm member (1997-2004, 2015–2019) and
Senator •
Gabriel Narutowicz (1865–1922): first
President of Poland (1922). •
Robert Biedroń (1975–): Mayor of
Słupsk, member of parliament, LGBT rights activist. •
Bolesław Bierut (1892–1956): Communist leader.
Portugal •
Ana Gomes (1954–): ambassador and former
MEP and
presidential candidate of the
Socialist Party. •
António Marinho e Pinto (1950–): former President of the
Portuguese Bar Association and MEP for the
Earth Party, and founder of the
Democratic Republican Party. •
Francisco Louçã (1956–): former
Councillor of State,
MP and leader of the
Left Bloc. •
Isabel Moreira (1976–): jurist and Socialist Party MP. •
João Soares (1949–): former State Councillor,
Minister of Culture and
Mayor of Lisbon of the Socialist Party. •
Jorge Sampaio (1939–2021): lawyer,
President of Portugal (1996–2006) and Mayor of Lisbon of the Socialist Party. •
Manuel Soares (1964–): judge and President of the Portuguese Judges' Union. •
Miguel Portas (1958–2012): former Left Bloc MEP. •
Paula Teixeira da Cruz (1960–): lawyer and former
Minister of Justice of the
Social Democratic Party. •
Teófilo Braga (1843–1924): President of Portugal (1910–1911, 1915) of the
Republican Party and the
Democratic Party.
Romania •
Mihai Ralea (1896–1964): Social scientist, cultural journalist, and political figure that was affiliated with
Poporanism, the left-wing
agrarian movement. •
Remus Cernea (1974–): Activist against discrimination based on faith and religion, an advocate of the separation of church and state. •
Paul Georgescu (1923–1989): Romanian literary critic, journalist, fiction writer and communist political figure. •
Alexandru Drăghici (1913–1993): Communist activist and politician.
Russia/Soviet Union •
Leonid Brezhnev (1906–1982): Soviet politician who was leader of the Soviet Union from 1964 until his death in 1982. •
Mikhail Gorbachev (1931–2022): Soviet politician who was the leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 until his resignation in 1991. Although he was suspected to be 'closeted Christian', he always denied that and kept reaffirming his atheism. •
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870–1924): Marxist revolutionary and leader of the Bolsheviks. Lenin considered atheism and anti-religious propaganda to be essential to promoting communism. •
Nikita Khrushchev (1894–1971):
Soviet General Secretary, 1953–1964. •
Joseph Stalin (1878–1953): General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee from 1922 until his death in 1953. •
Leon Trotsky (1879–1940): Marxist theorist and Soviet politician. •
Yemelyan Yaroslavsky (1878–1943): Bolshevik revolutionary and founder of the
League of Militant Atheists.
Spain Non-religious politicians are very common in Spain, particularly in
PSOE,
Unidas Podemos, and the former
Republican Left. •
Santiago Casares Quiroga (1884–1950): Politician,
Prime Minister of Spain from May 13 to July 19, 1936. •
Pedro Sánchez (1972–): Politician,
Prime Minister of Spain since June 1, 2018. •
Manuel Azaña (1880–1940):
Prime Minister of Spain, 1931–1936. •
Pablo Iglesias (1978–): an atheist who served as
Second Deputy Prime Minister of Spain 2020–2021, and as Secretary-General (leader) of
Podemos since 2014.
Sweden •
Olof Palme (1927–1986): politician, two-term
Prime Minister of Sweden, heading a Privy Council Government from 1969 to 1976 and a cabinet government from 1982 until his death. •
Bengt Westerberg (1943–): Leader of the
Liberal People's Party from 1983 to 1995. Minister for Social Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister from 1991 to 1994. Currently holds office as the
Deputy President of the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in
Geneva, Switzerland. •
Hanif Bali (1987–): politician of the
Moderate Party and member of the
Swedish Riksdag. •
Magdalena Andersson (1967-): politician, 1st female
Prime Minister of Sweden from 2021 to 2022, leader of the
Swedish Social Democratic Party and incumbent
Leader of the Opposition.
Turkey •
Abdullah Cevdet (1869–1932), Turkish intellectual and physician of ethnic
Kurdish descent, who was a politician of the
Committee of Union and Progress between 1889 and 1908 and then the Ottoman Democratic Party between 1908 and 1911. •
Behice Boran (1910–1987), Turkish
Marxist politician, author, and
sociologist, who was elected deputy of the
Workers' Party of Turkey between 1965 and 1969. •
Bedri Baykam (1957–), Turkish artist and elected member of the Party Assembly of the
social-democratic Republican People's Party between 1995 and 1998. •
Ahmet Şık (1970–), Turkish journalist and member of parliament.
United Kingdom Being non-religious has traditionally not been a barrier to success in British politics, as evidenced by at least seven Prime Ministers, one Deputy Prime Minister, several
First Ministers of Wales and
Scotland, and multiple
leaders of the Opposition being atheists since the 20th century. Non-religious views are common among British MPs and Lords, many of whom are members of the
All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group, as well as members of Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish, and London legislatures.
Prime Ministers •
David Lloyd George (1863–1945): Welsh Liberal politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1915 to 1922. Described sometimes as an agnostic or deist. Oversaw
disestablishment in Wales. •
Neville Chamberlain: Conservative British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1937 to 1940. Raised by an atheist father and a nontheist Unitarian mother, he was described as a "reverent agnostic" and someone who never practiced or showed interest in religion at any time in his life. •
Rhodri Morgan (1939–2017), former
First Minister of Wales and leader of
Welsh Labour (2000-2009). •
Mark Drakeford: Labour First Minister of Wales from 2018 to 2024.
Leaders of the Opposition •
Michael Foot (1913–2010): British politician and writer, leader of the
Labour Party 1980–1983. •
Neil Kinnock PC (1942–): British
Labour politician,
Leader of the Opposition and
Labour Party leader 1983–1992. •
Ed Miliband (1969–): British
Labour politician,
Leader of the Opposition and
Leader of the Labour Party from 2010 to 2015. •
Kemi Badenoch (1980–): British
Conservative politician and Leader of the Opposition since 2024. Describes herself as "agnostic" and a
non-theist but "
culturally Christian". She has some affinity for the Catholic Church, calling herself an "honorary Catholic".
Others •
William Crawford Anderson (1877–1919): British socialist politician, a founder member of the
Union of Democratic Control. •
James Arbuthnot (1952–): Conservative MP 1987-2015 and peer since 2015. •
Edward Aveling (1849–1898): English
Marxist activist and partner of
Karl Marx's daughter
Eleanor. •
Bessie Braddock JP (1899–1970): British
Labour politician, vice-chairman of the party in 1968. •
Charles Bradlaugh (1833–1891):
Liberal politician and one of the most famous English atheists of the 19th century. •
Alastair Campbell (1957–):
Director of Communications and Strategy for the
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2003. •
James Cleverly (1969–):
MP for
Braintree from 2015 to present. He briefly served as an
Education Secretary from July to September 2022 before becoming
Foreign Secretary and, after a reshuffle,
Home Secretary. •
Michael Cashman (1950–): British actor turned
Labour politician, a former Member of the European Parliament (1999–2014). •
Colin Challen (1953–): British
Labour politician, Member of Parliament (2001–2010). •
Charles Clarke (1950–): British
Labour Party politician,
Member of Parliament since 1997 and former
Home Secretary. •
Nick Clegg (1967–): former
Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom,
Lord President of the Council (with special responsibility for political and constitutional reform), and the British
Liberal Democrat Leader from 2007 to 2015. •
Robin Cook (1946–2005): Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs of the UK (1997–2001), whose funeral service was held in the
High Kirk of
Scotland, where he was described as a "
Presbyterian atheist. " •
Meghnad Desai, Baron Desai (1940–): British economist, writer and
Labour politician. •
Frank Dobson (1940–2019): British
Labour politician and
member of Parliament for
Holborn and St. Pancras. •
Jack Dormand (1919–2003): British educationist and
Labour politician. •
Herbert Fisher OM (1865–1940): English historian, educator, and
Liberal politician. •
Donald Findlay QC (1951–): Senior Scottish
advocate and
Queen's Counsel. •
Shreela Flather, Baroness Flather (1934–): British
Conservative peer in the
House of Lords, the first Asian woman to receive a peerage. •
Sir George Taubman Goldie (1846–1925):
Manx administrator who, as founder of the
Royal Niger Company, played a major role in the founding of
Nigeria. •
Evan Harris (1965–): British
Liberal Democrat politician and former
MP. •
Roy Hattersley PC (1932–):
British Labour Party politician, author and journalist, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party 1983–1992. •
Douglas Houghton PC CH (1898–1996): British
Labour politician. •
Robert Hughes, Baron Hughes of Woodside (1932–2022): British
Labour politician. •
Tommy Jackson (1879–1955): English founder of the
Socialist Party of Great Britain and later the
Communist Party of Great Britain. •
Joel Joffe, Baron Joffe CBE (1932–2017): South Africa-born British
Labour peer in the
House of Lords. •
Oona King, Baroness King of Bow (1967–):
Labour peer in the
House of Lords, former MP for
Bethnal Green and Bow (1997–2005). •
Ken Livingstone (1945–):
Mayor of London 2000–08. •
Gus Macdonald, Baron Macdonald of Tradeston CBE,
PC (1940–): British
Labour politician. •
John Maxton, Baron Maxton (1936–): Scottish politician, MP and now member of the House of Lords. •
David Miliband (1965–): British
Labour politician,
Foreign Secretary from 2007 to 2010. •
Julie Morgan (1941–): Welsh Assembly Member for
Cardiff North and former MP for Cardiff North. •
John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn OM,
PC (1838–1923): British
Liberal statesman, writer and newspaper editor. •
Mo Mowlam (1949–2005): Former
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. •
Elaine Murphy, Baroness Murphy (1949–2005): British politician and a member of the House of Lords, and a doctor and academic, formerly Professor of Psychiatry of Old Age at Guy's Hospital. •
Marion Phillips (1881–1932): Australia-born
Labour Party politician and British
Member of Parliament. •
Phil Piratin (1907–1995): British member of the
Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) and one of their few Members of Parliament. •
Herbert Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel (1870–1963):
Liberal Party Leader 1931–1935. •
Phil Sawford (1950–): British politician and former
Member of Parliament for
Kettering. •
Brian Sedgemore (1937–2015): former left-wing British
Labour Party politician. •
Clare Short (1946–): British politician, former
Labour Secretary of State for International Development. •
Dennis Skinner (1932–): British politician, who was the
Labour Member of Parliament for Bolsover from 1970 until he lost his seat in 2019. •
Guy Aldred (1886–1963): English anarchist communist and a prominent member of the
Anti-Parliamentary Communist Federation. •
Peter Tatchell (1952–), Australian-born British human rights activist •
Phillip Whitehead (1937–2005): British
Labour politician, television producer and writer.
Other in Europe •
Gaudenz Canova (1887–1962): Swiss lawyer and
Social Democratic member of the
National Council of Switzerland from
Graubünden (Grisons). •
Dimitris Christofias (1946–2019):
Greek Cypriot politician, President of
Cyprus 2008–2013. •
Vaso Čubrilović (1897–1990): Bosnian student, a conspirator in the assassination of
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. •
Peđa Grbin (1979–): Croatian politician and president of
Social Democratic Party of Croatia (2020-2024), mayor of
Pula science 2025 •
Theodor Herzl (1860–1904): Austro-Hungarian Jewish journalist and founder of modern political
Zionism. •
Zoran Janković (1953–):
Slovenian businessman, former mayor of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, and a deputy. •
Alexander Lukashenko (1954–): President of
Belarus, describes himself as "an Orthodox atheist." •
Slobodan Milošević (1941–2006):
Serbian politician, former
President of Serbia and of
Yugoslavia. •
Ivica Puljak (1969–): Croatian politician,
particle physicist, professor at
University of Split's FESB division and
mayor of Split (2021-2025) •
Ivica Račan (1944–2007): Prime Minister of Croatia (2000–2003), former
Croatian
leftist politician who led the Social Democratic Party of Croatia between 1989 up to 2007. He was also the last leader and democratic transformer of the League of Communists of Croatia. •
Hedi Stadlen (1916–2004): Austrian Jewish political activist, philosopher and musicologist. •
Veton Surroi (1961–): Kosovo Albanian publicist and politician. •
Josip Broz Tito (1892–1980) 1st President of Yugoslavia •
Zoran Milanović (1966–): Prime Minister of Croatia (2011-2016) and 5th President of Croatia (2020-) •
Miloš Zeman (1944–): President of the Czech Republic == North America ==