Bieńkowska officially named commissioner

Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister Elżbieta Bieńkowska has been named commissioner for the internal market, industry, entrepreneurship and SMEs in the new European Commission led by Jean-Claude Juncker. This is the first time that a commissioner’s portfolio includes small and medium-sized enterprises, “the backbone of our economy,” the EC’s press release said. Contrary to earlier reports, Bieńkowska will not be a vice-president of the commission. Frans Timmermans (regulation and legal issues) has been appointed first vice-president. Other deputies are Federica Mogherini (foreign policy), Kristalina Georgieva (budget and human resources), Andrus Ansip (digital single market), Alenka Bratušek (energy union), Valdis Dombrovskis (euro and social dialogue) and Jyrki Katainen (jobs, growth, investment and competitiveness). Bieńkowska will assume her post as of November. She is until now part of a government led by Donald Tusk, who filed his resignation on Tuesday after being chosen president of the European Council. It is yet unknown who could take over her responsibilities as minister of infrastructure and development in the new government, likely to be led by Ewa Kopacz.