Elżbieta Bieńkowska facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elżbieta Bieńkowska
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Bieńkowska in 2019
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| European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services |
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| In office 1 November 2014 – 30 November 2019 |
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| President | Jean-Claude Juncker |
| Preceded by | Michel Barnier |
| Succeeded by | Thierry Breton (Internal Market) |
| European Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship | |
| In office 1 November 2014 – 30 November 2019 |
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| President | Jean-Claude Juncker |
| Preceded by | Ferdinando Nelli Feroci |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Poland | |
| In office 27 November 2013 – 22 September 2014 |
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| President | Bronisław Komorowski |
| Prime Minister | Donald Tusk |
| Preceded by | Jacek Rostowski |
| Succeeded by | Tomasz Siemoniak |
| Minister of Infrastructure and Development | |
| In office 27 November 2013 – 22 September 2014 |
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| President | Bronisław Komorowski |
| Prime Minister | Donald Tusk |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Maria Wasiak |
| Minister of Regional Development | |
| In office 16 November 2007 – 27 November 2013 |
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| President | Lech Kaczyński Bronisław Komorowski (Acting) Bogdan Borusewicz (Acting) Grzegorz Schetyna (Acting) Bronisław Komorowski |
| Prime Minister | Donald Tusk |
| Preceded by | Grażyna Gęsicka |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 February 1964 Katowice, Poland |
| Political party | Civic Platform |
| Spouse | Artur Bieńkowski |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Jagiellonian University Polish National School of Public Administration SGH Warsaw School of Economics |
Elżbieta Ewa Bieńkowska (born on 4 February 1964) is a Polish politician. She served as Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development and Transport. Later, she became a European Commissioner from 2014 to 2019. She was part of the team led by Jean-Claude Juncker.
Bieńkowska was the Minister of Regional Development in Donald Tusk's government. She held this role from 2007 to 2013. In 2013, she also became the Deputy Prime Minister of Poland. At the same time, she continued her work at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development.
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Education and Early Career
Learning and Studying
Elżbieta Bieńkowska finished her studies at Jagiellonian University in 1989. She earned a Master's degree in Oriental Philology. This means she studied languages and cultures from Eastern countries.
She also completed special post-graduate studies. She received a Diploma from the Polish National School of Public Administration. After that, she earned an MBA (Master of Business Administration) from SGH Warsaw School of Economics.
Starting in Public Service
Bieńkowska began her career working for the public in the city of Katowice. She helped manage regional projects for the city council. In 1999, she became the head of Katowice's Department for Economy.
Later that year, she was chosen to be the Director of Regional Development for the Silesian Voivodeship. A "voivodeship" is like a large region or province in Poland. She worked in this important role until 2007.
Political Journey
A Technocrat in Politics
Elżbieta Bieńkowska describes herself as a "technocrat." This means she focuses on practical solutions and expert knowledge rather than political ideas. She is not a member of any political party. However, she was elected to the Senate of Poland in 2011. She ran as an independent candidate, supported by the Civic Platform party.
Leading Infrastructure and Development (2007–2014)
In the government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Bieńkowska had a very important job. She served as the Minister for Infrastructure and Development for Poland. From late 2013 to late 2014, she was also the Deputy Prime Minister.
In these roles, she was in charge of managing money from the European Union. This money was used to build and improve Poland's transport systems. Under her leadership, her ministry was one of the largest government departments in Poland. In 2013, she successfully secured a huge amount of money, €105.8 billion, from the EU budget for the years 2014-2020. This funding was crucial for Poland's growth.
Working for the European Union (2014–2019)
In September 2014, Elżbieta Bieńkowska was chosen to represent Poland in the European Commission. The European Commission is like the executive branch of the European Union. It proposes laws and manages the EU's daily business.
On 10 September 2014, Jean-Claude Juncker appointed her as the European Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. She officially started this role on 1 November 2014, as part of the Juncker Commission.
Key Responsibilities as Commissioner
As a Commissioner, Bieńkowska was responsible for important areas. She oversaw the industrial part of the EU’s defence and security plans. She also led a group focused on defence research starting in 2015. In 2016, she suggested creating the European Defence Fund. This fund aimed to boost defence industries in Europe, especially after Brexit (Britain's decision to leave the EU).
During her time in office, Bieńkowska also pushed for stronger rules for car testing. This came after the Volkswagen emissions scandal, where car companies cheated on emissions tests. She wanted the European Commission to supervise national checks on cars. In 2018, she also called for investing €20 billion from the Horizon Europe fund into artificial intelligence research.
Other Activities
- TuBerculosis Vaccine Initiative (TBVI), Member of the Governance Board
- Una Europa Association, Member of the Advisory Board
Honours and Awards
Personal Life
Elżbieta Bieńkowska is married to Artur Bieńkowski. They have three children.
See also
In Spanish: Elżbieta Bieńkowska para niños
- Bieńkowski coat of arms
