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In his bid to become Europe’s next energy commissioner, Czech Industry and Trade Minister Jozef Síkela can point to extensive relevant work experience.But his pro-nuclear stance may be decisive.
Minutes after being nominated as the next Czech EU commissioner, Siqueira Bring to X On Wednesday 21 August he will present his vision for future activities in the European Commission. His priorities are energy security, low-carbon energy and stronger intra-EU electricity links.
Previously, he had made it clearer – in August 2023, he told Czech media He said he had built up “relatively good prestige and authority” among other member states, which would help him get the job of economy or energy commissioner. “I have made no secret of my interest in this position,” he added.
The former banker made his latest comments on social media, but the final decision lies in the hands of just one person – Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission who is returning to the EU.
Relevant work experience
Siqueira chaired the meeting of energy ministers during the Czech Presidency of the Council in the second half of 2022, as the EU was in crisis with soaring energy bills due to reduced Russian gas supplies.
In this role, he guided his colleagues to reach political agreement on several key policy responses, including new laws to reduce gas demand, joint gas purchasing, and a cap on electricity prices.
He had declared that “we will convene as many energy committees as possible” to deal with the crisis. During the Czech presidency, energy ministers met eight times instead of the usual two or three.
In terms of energy, Síkela’s record and perspectives are similar to Von der Leyen’s “Political Guidelines for the Next European Commission” – More renewable energy, energy independence from Russia, economic growth through the clean energy sector. He is also a staunch Europhile, a member of von der Leyen’s European People’s Party political family, and most importantly, he speaks fluent German.
Can nuclear support play a decisive role?
However, Siqueira’s strongest card may be his recognition in Paris. The Czech has worked hard to promote nuclear energy, both at home and in Europe – a record that will be appreciated by the French government.
A former French official who worked on the energy commission during the Czech presidency said Siqueira would be an “excellent” energy commissioner, adding that he was “very astute” and “good at making smart compromises in times of crisis and taking a ‘realistic’ approach to energy issues”.
Siqueira’s main rival for the energy commissioner post is likely to be Spanish candidate Teresa Ribera, who has also made no secret of her interest in energy-related jobs.
Ribera, who previously served as Spain’s Minister of Ecological Transition, also said that he successfully chaired a meeting of the Energy Committee during Spain’s presidency in 2023.
However, Ribera has historically been lukewarm about nuclear energy, even openly skeptical. She opposed the decision Labelling nuclear energy as a “green investment” under EU sustainable finance rules was “a big mistake”.
This will not have escaped the attention of France and 11 other EU countries, as well as observer Italy, which are European Nuclear Union, And is pushing the European Union for more support for its efforts to revive Europe’s nuclear industry.
Without the full backing of the Council, von der Leyen will not be able to do much, and she will want the energy commissioner to win and keep the trust of national capitals. Any nominee will also have to pass a European Parliament inquiry – another Contains many nuclear supporters.
Still, Siqueira’s pro-nuclear stance does not guarantee him the post. Ribera has the backing of a major power and comes from a socialist group that will insist that von der Leyen assign them some important commission posts.
Furthermore, Síkela’s previous experiences may not be entirely helpful. According to Czech media reports Siqueira clashed with von der Leyen during tense negotiations over a gas price cap, with a diplomatic source saying at the time that “von der Leyen doesn’t like him”.
A direct competition between Ribera and Siqueira is not inevitable. Von der Leyen could assign Ribera to a more senior, broader portfolio, while Siqueira focuses on energy.
Von der Leyen took a similar approach in 2019 when Dutch socialist Frans Timmermans was appointed as the European Commission’s executive vice president for the European Green Deal and Estonian liberal Kadri Simson became energy commissioner.
Countries Until August 30 Nominate EU Commissioners. Von der Leyen will interview the candidates and assign positions. Parliament will publicly question each candidate and then decide whether to approve the College of Commissioners.
Additional reporting by Aneta Zachova and Paul Messad
(Editing by Rajnish Singh)
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