Jozef Síkela

Jozef Síkela
Official portrait, 2024
European Commissioner for International Partnerships
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 December 2024
President	Ursula von der Leyen
Preceded by	Jutta Urpilainen
Minister of Industry and Trade
In office 17 December 2021 – 7 October 2024
Prime Minister	Petr Fiala
Preceded by	Karel Havlíček
Succeeded by	Lukáš Vlček
Personal details
Born	(1967-06-17) 17 June 1967 (age 57) Rokycany, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic)
Political party	Independent (nominated by Mayors and Independents)
Alma mater	Prague University of Economics and Business
Occupation	Politician, investor, manager

Jozef Síkela (Czech pronunciation: [ˈjozɛf ˈsiːkɛla]; born 17 June 1967) is a Czech politician and investment banker who is the European Commissioner for International Partnerships under President Ursula von der Leyen since December 2024. He previously served as the Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic in Petr Fiala's Cabinet from December 2021^[1] to October 2024.^[2][3]

Political career

Minister of Industry and Trade

In November 2021, following the resignation of Věslav Michalik, Síkela became the new candidate of the Mayors and Independents (STAN) political party for the post of Czech Minister of Industry and Trade in the emerging government of Petr Fiala (a coalition of SPOLU and PirSTAN).^[4][5] He was appointed to this post in December 2021 by the Czech President, Miloš Zeman, at the castle in Lány.^[6]

During Síkela's tenure as Minister of Industry and Trade, the Czech Republic passed legislation aimed at developing renewable energy sources, designed to simplify the permit process for new sources and to allow their efficient use. This included the Community Energy Act, which enabled the sharing of surplus self-generated electricity from renewable sources,^[7] and was awarded the Business Law of the Year prize in 2024.^[8] The community energy system was launched in August 2024.^[9] His ministerial tenure also saw the Czech Republic move away from dependence on Russian gas imports, partially via the acquisition of a share in the LNG terminal in Eemshaven, Netherlands, in cooperation with the ČEZ Group, which Sikela announced in July 2022.^[10] In November 2023, the government announced that, again in collaboration with the ČEZ Group, it had acquired a stake in an LNG terminal in Stade, Germany. Síkela represented the Czech Republic at the ceremonial launch of the construction of the terminal.^[11]

European level

When the Czech Republic held the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2022, Síkela chaired ministerial meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council, the Competitiveness Council (COMPET) and the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council,^[12][13] while the latter was coordinating the EU's response to disruption on the energy markets due to the War in Ukraine. With Síkela chairing the meetings, EU member states agreed on key measures that helped stabilize the energy markets.^[14]

In June 2023, Síkela stated in an interview with the daily Právo that he was interested in seeking the position of European Commissioner.^[15] Following the 2024 European elections, Síkela was nominated by the Czech government to this role, to serve under President Ursula von der Leyen.^[16]

References

1. McEnchroe, Thomas (17 November 2021). "Zeman to name Petr Fiala prime minister next Friday". Radio Prague. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
2. "Pavel přijal demise Síkely a Šalomouna. V úterý jmenuje dva nové ministry". Deník (in Czech). Vltava Labe Media. Czech News Agency. 7 October 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
3. "Jozef Síkela". Government of the Czech Republic. December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
4. Rambousková, Michaela. "Ministrem průmyslu má být bývalý bankéř Jozef Síkela". Seznam Zprávy (in Czech). Retrieved 3 October 2023.
5. "Starostové a nezávislí navrhují na ministra průmyslu a obchodu úspěšného manažera Jozefa Síkelu". Mayors and Independents (in Czech). Retrieved 3 October 2023.
6. Jadrná, Anna (17 December 2021). "Zeman jmenoval novou vládu. Podívejte se na seznam těch, kteří povedou jednotlivá ministerstva". Czech Radio (in Czech). Retrieved 3 October 2023.
7. "Senát dal komunitní energetice zelenou". Novinky.cz (in Czech). Borgis. 20 December 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
8. "Zákonem roku v byznysu je novela, která zavede komunitní energetiku. Přešlapem je regulace dohodářů". Týdeník Hrot (in Czech). 8 September 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
9. "Komunitní energetika odstartovala. Zájemci o sdílení elektřiny se mohou registrovat u Elektroenergetického datového centra". MPO. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
10. "Nizozemský LNG terminál začne fungovat nejspíš v polovině září. Zajistí třetinu české spotřeby". ČT24 (in Czech). Retrieved 8 September 2024.
11. Hyklová, Dáša (28 June 2024). "Výstavba LNG terminálu Stade začala, pokryje čtvrtinu roční spotřeby plynu Česka". iDNES.cz. Mafra. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
12. Abnett, Kate (9 September 2022). "Czech minister sees EU deal on emergency liquidity for energy firms". Reuters.
13. Abnett, Kate (13 December 2022). "EU aims to close deal on gas price cap on Monday, Czech minister Sikela says". Reuters.
14. "Češi se při předsednictví ukázali jako dříči a slaví úspěchy, píše list". iDNES.cz (in Czech). Mafra. Czech News Agency. 20 December 2022.
15. Síkela, Jozef. "Síkela: Chtěl bych být eurokomisařem". Novinky.cz (in Czech). Interviewed by Martin Procházka. Borgis. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
16. Moens, Barbara (24 July 2024). "Who will be the next European commissioners?". Politico Europe. Retrieved 27 July 2024.