Speakers

(born in 1966) is a Slovak career diplomat, and since 1 December 2019 Vice President of the European Commission in charge of the Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight. In this capacity, he leads the Commission’s work on interinstitutional relations, better policymaking, strategic foresight and European Battery Alliance. In 2014 he was elected as the Member of the European Parliament. From 2010 – 2019 he was Vice President of the European Commission in charge of Inter-Institutional Relations and Administration, and then in charge of the Energy Union. In 2009-2010, he was European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth. From 2004 -2009, he was the Permanent Representative of the Slovak Republic to the European Union. As diplomat by profession he served between 1992 and 2004 in Zimbabwe and Canada and as Ambassador to Israel. He graduated from the University of Economy in Bratislava and the Moscow State Institute for Foreign Relations. He holds a degree as Doctor of Law and a PhD of European Law from the Comenius University, Faculty of Law, Bratislava. He also studied at Stanford University, USA.