Maroš Šefčovič, the new Transport & Space Commissioner

With the profile of a diplomat, rather than a politician, Maroš Šefčovič is Commissioner for the third time. He joined the first Barroso Commission late in 2009, as Commissioner responsible for Education, Training, Culture and Youth. He is currently Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Inter-Institutional Relations and Administration. After running in the European elections for SMER – the Slovakian Party of European Socialists member party, he was elected as a Member of the European Parliament but decided not to take the seat.

Rumours had it that he was foreseen for the Neighborhood and enlargement portfolio. On the 10th of September the new President of the European Commission, Jean Claude Junker, nominated him for the position for Commissioner in charge of Transport and Space.

Maroš Šefčovič’s current portfolio is a behind-the-scenes post, as he was responsible for overseeing bureaucracy and liaising with other EU institutions. Nevertheless, he overlooked the entire process for the introduction of the European Citizens Initiative, a new disposition of the Lisbon Treaty that gives citizens the possibility to put a question to the European Commission.

Before becoming Commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič had a high level career in diplomacy, first in the services of Czech and Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then as the Slovakian Ambassador in Israel and later Ambassador to the Permanent Representation of the EU. He studied international relations in Bratislava and Moscow and is a polyglot; he is fluent in English, French, Russian, German.

For more information on the new Transport and Space Comissioner, please click here.