Andris Piebalgs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andris Piebalgs
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Piebalgs in 2012
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| European Commissioner for Development | |
| In office 9 February 2010 – 1 November 2014 |
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| President | José Manuel Barroso |
| Preceded by | Karel De Gucht (Development and Humanitarian Aid) |
| Succeeded by | Neven Mimica (International Cooperation and Development) |
| European Commissioner for Energy | |
| In office 22 November 2004 – 9 February 2010 |
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| President | José Manuel Barroso |
| Preceded by | Loyola de Palacio (Energy and Transport) |
| Succeeded by | Günther Oettinger |
| Leader of Unity | |
| In office 4 June 2016 – 19 August 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Solvita Āboltiņa |
| Succeeded by | Arvils Ašeradens |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 September 1957 Valmiera, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union (now Latvia) |
| Political party | Communist Party (Before 1991) Latvian Way (1993–2007) Latvia's First Party/Latvian Way (2007–2011) Independent (2011–2016) Unity (2016–) |
| Alma mater | University of Latvia |
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Andris Piebalgs was born on September 17, 1957. He is a politician and diplomat from Latvia. He worked as a top official in the European Commission, which is like the government of the European Union. From 2010 to 2014, he was the European Commissioner for Development. Before that, from 2004 to 2009, he was the Commissioner for Energy. He also led a political party in Latvia called Unity from 2016 to 2017.
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Andris Piebalgs' Career Journey
Andris Piebalgs was born in Valmiera, Latvia. He studied Physics at the University of Latvia. He has held many important jobs in both Latvian and European politics.
Early Career in Latvia
When Latvia was part of the Soviet Union, Andris Piebalgs worked as a teacher. He was also the headmaster of the 1st Secondary School of Valmiera from 1980 to 1990. Later, he became a director in Latvia's Ministry of Education.
In 1988, a large group called the Latvian People's Front was formed. This group wanted Latvia to be independent. In March 1990, elections were held where different political parties could take part for the first time. Andris Piebalgs was chosen as the Minister of Education in the new government on May 7, 1990. In August 1991, Latvia became fully independent. His main job then was to create Latvia's first independent education system.
In 1993, Andris Piebalgs was elected to the Latvian Parliament. He led the budget and finance committee until 1994. In September 1994, he became Latvia's Minister of Finance and deputy prime minister.
Diplomatic Work
From 1995 to 2003, Andris Piebalgs worked as a diplomat for Latvia. He was Latvia's ambassador to Estonia from 1995 to 1997. During this time, he helped solve a disagreement about the sea border between the two countries.
In 1997, he became Latvia's Ambassador to the EU. He played a big part in helping Latvia become a candidate country for the EU. He also led the talks that resulted in Latvia joining the EU in 2004.
From 2003 to 2004, he was a Deputy Secretary of State for EU affairs. He helped coordinate Latvia's position in the European Council. He also started Latvia's new policy for helping other countries develop.
Andris Piebalgs speaks several languages. Besides his native Latvian, he is fluent in English, German, French, and Russian. He also knows some Estonian.
Working for the European Commission
Andris Piebalgs held two important roles in the European Commission.
European Commissioner for Energy
From November 2004 to February 2010, he was the European Commissioner for Energy. In this role, he worked to make Europe's energy system more competitive, sustainable, and secure. He helped make energy issues a central part of EU policy.
Because of his work, The Economist magazine called him "Eurocrat of the Year" in 2007. In 2009, he received the "Diamond Prize" for his work on European Energy Policy. He also received the Energy Efficiency Visionary Award for his efforts to improve energy efficiency.
His Ideas on Energy
When he was being considered for the Energy Commissioner job in 2004, Piebalgs talked about the environment. He wanted to limit how much energy was used and find more types of energy sources.
He was careful about nuclear energy but supported an EU-wide safety system for it. He also wanted fair competition in the energy and gas industries. He focused on reducing energy demand by making buildings more energy-efficient. He also supported developing hydrogen as a fuel and improving renewable energy sources. He also backed projects like ITER for nuclear fusion.
European Commissioner for Development
From February 2010 to November 2014, Andris Piebalgs was the European Commissioner for Development. This role focuses on helping developing countries.
His Ideas on Development
In his hearing for this role in 2010, he explained his main goals. He wanted to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). These were a set of goals for improving life in developing countries. He also wanted to make sure EU countries kept their promises to provide aid. He aimed to make international aid more effective.
Piebalgs believed that development policy should not just be a tool for other political goals. He stressed that the EU should continue to support the developing world.
Other Activities and Interests
From 2012 to 2013, Andris Piebalgs was part of a special group. This group, set up by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, worked on global development goals for after 2015. These goals followed the Millennium Development Goals.
He has also held honorary positions, including:
- Friends of Europe, a member of the board of trustees
- Friends of the Global Fund, a member of the board
Personal Life
Andris Piebalgs is married and has three children. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis and skiing.
See also
In Spanish: Andris Piebalgs para niños
