Fico: Gov't Supports Maros Sefcovic for Post in New European Commission (2)

Brussels/Bratislava, April 18 (TASR-correspondent) - The Slovak Government will support the bid of incumbent European Commissioner Maros Sefcovic for a post in the next 2024-29 European Commission, Prime Minister Robert Fico announced after an extraordinary two-day EU summit in Brussels, TASR learnt from its special correspondent in Brussels on Thursday. Fico pointed out that Sefcovic serves his third full European Commission mandate and if he received another offer, it would make his fourth term of office. No other European commissioner in the history of the EU has ever served four full mandates. "They ask Maros Sefcovic for cooperation every time difficult issues arise, such as Brexit. Currently, he's working on the European Green Deal, he's had enormous duties regarding energies. For instance, he's been addressing cheaper gas imports to Europe," claimed Fico. Fico underlined that Sefcovic's current standing in the European Commission is so strong that if he were to continue, he would receive a position no one else from Slovakia could acquire. Sefcovic held the post of the European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth for three months, when he replaced Jan Figel. During the second mandate of Jose Manuel Barroso, he was responsible for the portfolio of administration and interinstitutional relations. In the European Commission headed by Jean-Claude Juncker, he served as the Commission Vice-president for the building of energy union and maintained the vice-president chair also during the mandate of Ursula von der Leyen, when he was originally tasked with strategic foresight and interinstitutional relations. Gradually, Sefcovic's working agenda grew and in late 2023 he has become responsible for the implementation of the European Green Deal. Aside from this, he also heads post-Brexit talks with the United Kingdom and negotiations on new association agreements with Andorra, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino and Switzerland. He's the Vice-president of the EU Energy Platform that runs the joint purchases of gas and his name is linked also with the European Battery Alliance. mf