Pavel Telička
Pavel Telička | |
---|---|
European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection | |
In office 1 May 2004 – 22 November 2004 | |
President | Romano Prodi |
Preceded by | David Byrne |
Succeeded by | Markos Kyprianou |
Member of the European Parliament | |
Assumed office 1 July 2014 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Washington, D.C., U.S. | 21 August 1965
Political party | ANO 2011 |
Spouse | Eva Teličková |
Children | son Jakub and daughter Kateřina |
Alma mater | Charles University |
Pavel Telička (born 21 August 1965)[1] is a Czech lobbyist and politician.
Early life
Born in Washington, D.C. as the son of a communist diplomat. After his graduation from the Faculty of Law, Charles University in Prague, in 1986, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Czechoslovakia. In the following years, he held various positions in the Czechoslovak – later Czech – ministry, including the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and in the Czech Mission to the European Union (EU) in Brussels. From 1998 onwards, he served as Chief Negotiator for the accession of the Czech Republic to the European Union.[1]
European Union
In February 2004 Czech government nominated Miloš Kužvart, the former Czech Environment Minister, as a candidate for the EU commissioner. Kužvart, however, was allegedly not able to communicate in any foreign language, although he does in fact speak English, and allegedly lacked insight into EU affairs. He stepped down in a dramatic way after his first candidate visit in Brussels. Under time pressure the government nominated Telička.
When the Czech Republic entered the EU on 1 May 2004 Telička became EU commissioner in the Prodi Commission. He shared the portfolio of Health and Consumer Protection with David Byrne. He held this post only until November 2004; he did not continue in the following Barroso Commission due to a Czech government crisis in summer 2004. He was succeeded as the Czech commissioner by Vladimír Špidla, the former Czech Prime Minister who resigned during the crisis.[1]
Soon after, in December 2004, he co-founded BXL Consulting with offices in Prague and Brussels. BXL Consulting was providing consultancy in EU affairs but as of 2014 it is no longer doing so.[2][3] In 2013 he supported ANO 2011 led by Andrej Babiš in the Czech parliament elections; he was its candidate for the 2014 European Parliament election.[4] Since his election in July 2014, he has been a vice-chair in the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.[5]
He was also elected president of the Czech Rugby Union in November 2009.[6]
References
- ^ a b c British Council Biography. Archived
- ^ http://zpravy.idnes.cz/domaci.aspx?r=domaci&c=A041210_221112_domaci_pol&t=A041210_221112_domaci_pol&r2=domaci
- ^ http://www.bxl.cz/en/
- ^ http://www.denik.cz/z_domova/byvaly-eurokomisar-telicka-jde-k-babisovi-do-hnuti-ano-20130829.html
- ^ Profile on the website of the European Parliament http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/124706/PAVEL_TELICKA_home.html
- ^ Česká Rugbyová Unie (Czech Rugby Union)