Michal Šimečka
Michal Šimečka | |
---|---|
National Council | |
Assumed office 25 October 2023 | |
Member of the European Parliament for Slovakia | |
In office 25 May 2019 – 24 October 2023 | |
Constituency | Slovakia |
Leader of Progressive Slovakia | |
Assumed office 7 May 2022 | |
Preceded by | Irena Bihariová |
Personal details | |
Born | Bratislava, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia) | 10 May 1984
Political party | Progressive Slovakia (2017–present) |
Other political affiliations | Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (2019–present) |
Education | Charles University (BA) St Antony's College, Oxford (MPhil) Nuffield College, Oxford (DPhil) |
Michal Šimečka (born 10 May 1984) is a Slovak politician, journalist, and researcher, who served as a Vice-President of the European Parliament between 2022 and 2023, as well as Member of the European Parliament between 2019 and 2023.[1] In 2020, Šimečka was elected vice-president of the European political group Renew Europe.[2] He is a co-founder of the social-liberal Progressive Slovakia party, leading it from 2022.
Early life and education
Šimečka earned a bachelor's degree in political sciences and international relations from the
Political career
Member of the European Parliament, 2019–2023
Šimečka is a member of the European Parliament Intergroup on LGBT Rights[4] and European Parliament Intergroup on Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages.[5]
During the European Parliament elections in May 2019, Šimečka was the leader of the coalition candidate Progressive Slovakia and Democrats, which won with a profit of 20.11%.[6] He was elected MEP with 81,735 preferential votes.[7] Later that November, Šimečka was elected rapporteur on the establishment of an EU Mechanism on Democracy, the Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights.[8]
In October 2020, Šimečka presented his proposal for a mechanism combining several tools which monitor the respect of rule of law and European values, which received majority support in the European Parliament.[9] He explained that the EU should do more to address the abuse of EU funding, writing that "an implicit bargain between net contributors and net recipients – we pay for market access, you are free to abuse funds" should end.[10]
From 2020 until 2021, Šimečka served as deputy chair of the Renew Europe parliamentary group, under the leadership of chair Dacian Cioloș.[11]
Following the 2023 Slovak parliamentary election, Šimečka gave up vice-presidency of the EP to focus on leading the opposition in Slovakia.[12] He received 92 votes, 29 MPs voted against and 21 abstained.[13]
LGBT views
Michal Šimečka supports the LGBT community and supported the Rainbow Ribbon campaign as up to 77% of LGBT+ people do not hold hands in public because they are afraid of being attacked.[14]
Personal life
Šimečka is the son of journalists Martin Milan Šimečka and Marta Šimečková (née Frišová).[15] He lives in Bratislava with his partner Soňa Ferienčíková and their daughter Táňa (b. 2020).[16]
References
- ^ "EP election in Slovakia: Official results confirm the victory of pro-EU forces". The Slovak Spectator. 26 May 2019.
- ^ "Renew Europe rapporteur presents draft report for an EU Mechanism on Democracy, the Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights - News - Renew Europe". Renew Europe Group. Archived from the original on 2020-11-26. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
- ^ "M.Phil Michal Šimečka, PhD. (Oxon)" (in Czech). iir.cz. Archived from the original on 2018-01-06. Retrieved 2019-06-01.
- ^ "European Parliament Intergroup on LGBTI Rights". lgbti-ep.eu.
- ^ Intergroup on Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages European Parliament.
- ^ Gabrižová, Zuzana (27 May 2019). "Konečné výsledky eurovolieb 2019 na Slovensku". euractiv.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 10 June 2019.
- ^ "Eurovoľby vyhrala koalícia PS/Spolu, pred Smerom a ĽSNS". Pravda (in Slovak). 26 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ "Mr Rule of Law Seeks to Fix Europe's Crisis in Values". Balkan Insight. 10 November 2020.
- ^ Zalan, Ester (8 October 2020). "Massive MEP majority for better rule-of-law mechanism". EU Observer.
- ^ Šimečka, Michal (24 September 2020). "How to break the taboo about EU funding and the rule of law". euractiv.com.
- ^ Khan, Nisa (22 October 2021). "Movers and Shakers". The Parliament Magazine. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021.
- ^ "Michal Simecka gives up his job in Brussels to lead the opposition in Slovakia". EN RTVS. 13 October 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ "Poznáme podpredsedov NR SR: Sú nimi Blaha, Žiga, Danko a Šimečka". teraz.sk (in Slovak). 25 October 2023.
- ^ Šimečka, Michal (15 May 2021). "Michal Šimečka: Až 77% LGBT+ ľudí sa na verejnosti nedrží za ruky, pretože sa obávajú napadnutia". europske.noviny.sk (in Slovak).
- ^ Kyseľ, Tomáš (4 September 2023). "Kto je Michal Šimečka: Má krv starých národovcov a diplom z Oxfordu. Začínal u poslanca Smeru, dnes môže poraziť Fica". Aktuality.sk (in Slovak).
- ^ "Michal Šimečka: Bol to strašný rok, pre mnohých asi najťažší, aký sme zažili. Mal však tri momenty, za ktoré budem navždy vďačný". europske.noviny.sk (in Slovak). 3 January 2021.