Elżbieta Bieńkowska

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

Elżbieta Bieńkowska
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
Katowice, Poland
Political partyCivic Platform
Spouse(s)Artur Bieńkowski[1]
Children3
EducationJagiellonian University
Polish National School of Public Administration
Warsaw School of Economics

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

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 Warsaw School of Economics.[3]

Professional career

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

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]

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. In this capacity, she was charge of allocating European Union funding and the country's transport infrastructure.[6] 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]

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.[7]

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.

Since 2015, Bieńkowska has been chairing the European Commission’s High-level Group of Personalities on Defence Research.[8]

Honours and decorations

Personal life

Bieńkowska is married and has three children.[5][10]

See also

References

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Political offices
Preceded by
Grażyna Gęsicka
Minister of Regional Development
2007–2013
Position abolished
Preceded by
Jacek Rostowski
Deputy Prime Minister of Poland
2013–2014
Succeeded by
Tomasz Siemoniak
New office Minister of Infrastructure and Development
2013–2014
Succeeded by
Maria Wasiak
Preceded by
Jacek Dominik
Polish European Commissioner
2014–2019
Succeeded by
Janusz Wojciechowski
Preceded by
Michel Barnier
as European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services
European Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs
2014–2019
Succeeded by
Thierry Breton
Preceded by
Ferdinando Nelli Feroci
as European Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship
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