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Elżbieta Bieńkowska

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Elżbieta Bieńkowska
Bieńkowska in 2016
European Commissioner for
Internal Market and Services
In office
1 November 2014 – 30 November 2019
PresidentJean-Claude Juncker
Preceded byMichel Barnier
Succeeded byThierry Breton (Internal Market)
European Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship
In office
1 November 2014 – 30 November 2019
PresidentJean-Claude Juncker
Preceded byFerdinando Nelli Feroci
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Deputy Prime Minister of Poland
In office
27 November 2013 – 22 September 2014
PresidentBronisław Komorowski
Prime MinisterDonald Tusk
Preceded byJacek Rostowski
Succeeded byTomasz Siemoniak
Minister of Infrastructure and Development
In office
27 November 2013 – 22 September 2014
PresidentBronisław Komorowski
Prime MinisterDonald Tusk
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byMaria Wasiak
Minister of Regional Development
In office
16 November 2007 – 27 November 2013
PresidentLech Kaczyński
Bronisław Komorowski (Acting)
Bogdan Borusewicz (Acting)
Grzegorz Schetyna (Acting)
Bronisław Komorowski
Prime MinisterDonald Tusk
Preceded byGrażyna Gęsicka
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Personal details
Born (1964-02-04) 4 February 1964 (age 60)
Katowice, Poland
Political partyCivic Platform
SpouseArtur Bieńkowski[1]
Children3
EducationJagiellonian University
Polish National School of Public Administration
SGH Warsaw School of Economics

Elżbieta Ewa Bieńkowska (Polish pronunciation: [ɛlʐˈbʲiɛta bʲiɛɲˈkɔfska]; née Moycho; born on 4 February 1964) is a Polish politician who served as Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development and Transport before becoming a European Commissioner in the team of Jean-Claude Juncker from 2014 to 2019.[2]

Bieńkowska was Minister of Regional Development in Prime Minister Donald Tusk's Cabinet from 16 November 2007 until 27 November 2013,[3] when she was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Poland while continuing her previous responsibilities at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development.

Education

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Bieńkowska graduated from Jagiellonian University with a Master's degree in Oriental Philology in 1989.[3] She has also received a post-graduate Diploma from the Polish National School of Public Administration and afterwards a postgraduate studies MBA from SGH Warsaw School of Economics.[3]

Professional career

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Bieńkowska's career in public administration started at Katowice City Council where she worked on regional contracts being promoted, in 1999, as head of Katowice's Department for Economy. Later that year, she was appointed Director of Regional Development for the Silesian Voivodeship, where she served until 2007.

Career in politics

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Bieńkowska describes herself as a technocrat.[4] She is not a party member, and was elected to the Senate of Poland in 2011 as an independent candidate, backed by the Civic Platform.[5]

Minister for Infrastructure and Development, 2007–2013

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In the government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Bieńkowska served as Minister for Infrastructure and Development for Poland, as well as Deputy Prime Minister from the end of 2013 until the end of September 2014.[6] In this capacity, she was charge of allocating European Union funding and the country's transport infrastructure.[7] Under her leadership, the ministry was Poland's second-largest department after the ministry of finance, with 1,600 employees and nine deputy ministers.[5] In February 2013, she secured €105.8 billion from the EU budget for 2014-20.[5]

Member of the European Commission, 2014–2019

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On 3 September 2014, Bieńkowska was announced as the Polish nominee to the European Commission, in place of foreign affairs minister Radek Sikorski, who had been put forward in August in a bid to secure the post of High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.[8]

On 10 September 2014, Juncker designated Bieńkowska as European Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, following which, on 1 November 2014, she took office in the Juncker Commission.

In her capacity as Commissioner, Bieńkowska was in charge of the industrial part of the EU’s defence and security strategy[9] and chaired the European Commission's High-level Group of Personalities on Defence Research from 2015.[10] In 2016, she proposed the European Defence Fund and the accompanying European Defense Industrial Development Program, as part of the response to Britain’s decision to leave the EU.[11][12]

Also during her time in office, Bieńkowska pushed for the European Commission to have oversight powers to supervise national controls and tests for cars in the wake of the Volkswagen emissions scandal.[13] In 2018, she called for investing Horizon Europe funds of €20 billion into artificial intelligence research.[14]

Other activities

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  • TuBerculosis Vaccine Initiative (TBVI), Member of the Governance Board[15]
  • Una Europa Association, Member of the Advisory Board[16]

Honours and decorations

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Personal life

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Bieńkowska is married and has three children.[5][18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Elżbieta Bieńkowska: Nie jestem yorkiem ani bulterierem [WYWIAD WIDEO]". Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  2. ^ "Candidates for Ministers [BIOs]". Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  3. ^ a b c "Elżbieta Bieńkowska". Ministry of Regional Development of the Republic of Poland. Archived from the original on 2009-11-18.
  4. ^ "Platforma Obywatelska - E. Bieńkowska: Jestem technokratą". platforma. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d Annabelle Chapman (January 15, 2014), Elżbieta Bieńkowska – Hidden asset European Voice.
  6. ^ Christian Lowe and Karolina Slowikowska (20 November 2013), Poland names bank economist as new finance minister Reuters.
  7. ^ Marcin Sobczyk (February 13, 2014), Poland Sacks Roads Agency Head The Wall Street Journal.
  8. ^ Cynthia Kroet (September 3, 2014), Poland nominates Bieńkowska as Commission candidate European Voice.
  9. ^ Gabriela Baczynska and Robin Emmott (16 September 2016), EU's Bienkowska proposes joint defence bonds after Brexit Reuters.
  10. ^ Simon Taylor (30 March 2015), High-level group of personalities on defence research European Voice.
  11. ^ Gabriela Baczynska and Robin Emmott (16 September 2016), EU's Bienkowska proposes joint defence bonds after Brexit Reuters.
  12. ^ Paul Taylor (12 September 2019), [EU defense commissioner may face turf wars] Politico Europe.
  13. ^ Gernot Heller (5 November 2015), EU's Bienkowska says wants supervision powers over car tests Reuters.
  14. ^ Jennifer Rankin (25 April 2018), Artificial intelligence: €20bn investment call from EU commission The Guardian.
  15. ^ Governance Board: Elżbieta Bieńkowska TuBerculosis Vaccine Initiative (TBVI).
  16. ^ Advisory Board Una Europa Association.
  17. ^ Asia Kosma. "Złote medale "Za zasługi dla pożarnictwa"". Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  18. ^ Valentina Pop (August 9, 2015), In Juncker's European Commission, Dog Owners Outnumber Cat Lovers The Wall Street Journal.
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Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Regional Development
2007–2013 		Position abolished
Preceded by Deputy Prime Minister of Poland
2013–2014 		Succeeded by
New office Minister of Infrastructure and Development
2013–2014 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Polish European Commissioner
2014–2019 		Succeeded by
Preceded byas European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services European Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs
2014–2019 		Succeeded by
Preceded byas European Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship
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