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Jozef Síkela (born 17 June 1967) is a Czech politician and investment banker who has served as Czech Minister of Industry and Trade in Petr Fiala's Cabinet since December 2021.[1][2]
Jozef Síkela | |
|---|---|
 Síkela in 2023 | |
| Minister of Industry and Trade | |
| Assumed office 17 December 2021 | |
| Prime Minister | Petr Fiala |
| Preceded by | Karel Havlíček |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 June 1967 Rokycany, Czechoslovakia |
| Political party | Independent (nominated by Mayors and Independents) |
| Alma mater | Prague University of Economics and Business |
| Occupation | Politician, investor, manager |
Political career
editIn November 2021, following the resignation of Věslav Michalik, Síkela became the new candidate of the Mayors and Independents (STAN) for the post of Czech Minister of Industry and Trade in the emerging government of Petr Fiala (a coalition of SPOLU and PirSTAN).[3][4] He was appointed to this post in December 2021 by Czech President Miloš Zeman at the castle in Lány.[5]
When the Czech Republic held the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2022, Síkela chaired the meetings of the Competitiveness Council (COMPET) and the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council.[6][7] In June 2023, he admited in an interview with the daily Právo that he was interested in seeking the position of European Commissioner.[8]
Following the 2024 European elections, the Czech government nominated Síkela as the country's European Commissioner to serve under President Ursula von der Leyen.[9]
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Minister Síkela has been one of the most prominent supporters of Ukraine within the Czech government. At the end of February 2022, the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade, in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and the Administration of State Material Reserves, initiated the donation of fuel to Ukraine.[10] Minister Síkela also initiated the crowdfunding campaign "Light Up Ukraine," aimed at raising funds to help restore Ukraine's energy infrastructure.[11]
During the second half of 2022, under the Czech Presidency of the EU Council, Minister Síkela chaired a total of three ministerial councils. These included the Foreign Affairs Council in the foreign trade format, the Competitiveness Council, and most notably, the Energy Council. At that time, Europe had to respond to Russia's strategy of manipulating gas prices and threats of terminating gas supplies from Russia, which led to a rapid increase in gas and electricity prices. Therefore, the agenda during the Energy Council meetings was crucial. Under the leadership of the Czech Republic, EU member states agreed on key measures that helped stabilize the energy markets. [12]
During his tenure, Minister Síkela significantly contributed to the approval of legislation aimed at developing renewable energy sources in the Czech Republic. Under his leadership, the Ministry of Industry and Trade prepared legislative designed to simplify the permitting process for new sources and to allow their efficient use. Throughout the year, the Czech Republic passed the Community Energy Act, which enabled the sharing of surplus self-generated electricity from renewable sources.[13] This law was subsequently awarded the Business Law of the Year in 2024.[14] The community energy system was launched in August 2024.[15]
In June 2024, the American company onsemi announced its decision to invest over 40 billion CZK (2 billion USD) in the Czech Republic to expand its chip manufacturing in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm. This investment will enable the creation of an entire semiconductor ecosystem in the Czech Republic. Minister Síkela had been negotiating the details of this investment with onsemi representatives since March 2023. He first met with the company's leadership in Silicon Valley, followed by meetings in Prague, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, and Chicago, USA.
When Jozef Síkela was in office as Minister of Industry and Trade, the Czech Republic got rid of its near-complete dependence on Russian gas imports. A significant contributing factor was the acquisition of a share in the LNG terminal in Eemshaven, Netherlands, in cooperation with the ČEZ Group. This stake provides the capacity to re-gasify up to three billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas annually, enabling the Czech Republic to import up to a third of its gas consumption from overseas. Minister Sikela announced this acquisition in July 2022.[16] 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. Minister Síkela personally represented the Czech Republic at the ceremonial start of the construction of this terminal.[17]
References
edit- ^ McEnchroe, Thomas (17 November 2021). "Zeman to name Petr Fiala prime minister next Friday". Radio Prague. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ "Jozef Síkela". Government of the Czech Republic. December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ Rambousková, Michaela. "Ministrem průmyslu má být bývalý bankéř Jozef Síkela". Seznam Zprávy (in Czech). Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ "Starostové a nezávislí navrhují na ministra průmyslu a obchodu úspěšného manažera Jozefa Síkelu". Mayors and Independents (in Czech). Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Abnett, Kate (9 September 2022). "Czech minister sees EU deal on emergency liquidity for energy firms". Reuters.
- ^ Abnett, Kate (13 December 2022). "EU aims to close deal on gas price cap on Monday, Czech minister Sikela says". Reuters.
- ^ Síkela, Jozef. "Síkela: Chtěl bych být eurokomisařem". Novinky.cz (in Czech). Interviewed by Martin Procházka. Borgis. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ Moens, Barbara (24 July 2024). "Who will be the next European commissioners?". Politico Europe. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ https://vlada.gov.cz/cz/media-centrum/tiskove-konference/tiskova-konference-po-mimoradnem-jednani-vlady--27--unora-2022-194589/
- ^ https://donio.cz/rozsvecimeukrajinu
- ^ https://www.idnes.cz/zpravy/zahranicni/ceske-predsednictvi-financial-times-eu-sikela-energetika.A221220_115423_zahranicni_jhr
- ^ https://www.novinky.cz/clanek/ekonomika-senat-dal-komunitni-energetice-zelenou-40454906
- ^ https://www.hrot24.cz/clanek/zakon-roku-pro-byznys-novela-ktera-v-cesku-zavede-komunitni-energetiku-preslapem-je-regulace-dohodaru
- ^ https://www.mpo.gov.cz/cz/rozcestnik/pro-media/tiskove-zpravy/komunitni-energetika-odstartovala--zajemci-o-sdileni-elektriny-se-mohou-registrovat-u-elektroenergetickeho-datoveho-centra--282389/
- ^ https://ct24.ceskatelevize.cz/clanek/ekonomika/nizozemsky-lng-terminal-zacne-fungovat-nejspis-v-polovine-zari-zajisti-tretinu-ceske-spotreby-18172
- ^ https://www.idnes.cz/ekonomika/domaci/lng-plyn-terminal-stade-cez.A240627_154041_ekonomika_hyk
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