Maroš Šefčovič has been shaping European policy in central positions for well over a decade. In 2004, he was appointed as the Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the EU, contributing to the country's major integration projects, such as its entry to the Eurozone and the Schengen area. In 2009, he became the EU's Commissioner responsible for Education, Training, Culture and Youth. Between 2010 and 2014, under the Barroso II Commission, he held the office of Vice President for Interinstitutional Relations and Administration. In 2014, Mr Šefčovič was elected as the Member of the European Parliament, which led to him being appointed as Vice President for the Energy Union under the Juncker Commission. As of December 2019, under the von der Leyen Commission, he has been Vice President for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight. At the same time, he coordinates the work of the European Battery Alliance and co-chairs the EU-UK Joint Committee on the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement.

Prior to his successful career in Brussels, between 1992 and 2004, Mr Šefčovič held diplomatic posts at Slovakia's Embassy to Zimbabwe as well as Canada, and served as the country's Ambassador to Israel.

During this afternoon, Vice President Šefčovič will talk to Alexandra von Nahmen about his experiences in Brussels as well as the pressing current and future challenges facing the European Union.