László Andor, Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
(Hungary, Socialist)

Background

Before being appointed to as Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, László Andor, a Hungarian, represented the Czech Republic on the Board of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).  Prior to that, he worked as an advisor to the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic as a political appointee from the Hungarian Socialist Party.  He is an economist by training and has numerous academic accolades including research fellowships in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Stated objectives on taking office

• To rethink the European Employment Strategy;
• To fight poverty by promoting policies that support vulnerable groups and addressing the root causes of poverty, which include seizing the opportunities in the 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion;
• To guarantee faster and more effective use of the European Social Fund (ESF) and the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF);
• To renew and intensify the dialogue with the EU’s social partners;
• To remove obstacles to the free movement of workers.

Members of the Cabinet

Anabela GAGO, Head of Cabinet
Éva TÖRÖK, Deputy Head of Cabinet, Legislative Programme, Health and Safety
Csaba KÁNCZ, Adviser, Employment Strategy, Social Responsibility
Gyula HEGYI, Member/Personal Assistant to the Commissioner, Inter-institutional relations, Poverty, Green jobs
Denis GENTON, Member, Social Fund, Relations with the European Parliament
Max UEBE, Member, Labour law and Social Dialogue
Gyula CSEREY, Member, International Dimension, Demographic Analysis
Maria JAVOROVA, Spokesperson
Cristina ARIGHO, Spokesperson

Main actions to date

• Launching the EU’s new strategy for jobs and growth “Europe 2020;”
• Launching the “New Skills for New Jobs” initiative under the EU 2020 Strategy.

What to expect

Unlike the typical Euro-politician, Andor embraces his position as an outsider and has a unique way in which he communicates his ideas. His academic background has marked him as a bit of an intellectual, and this is reflected in his public speeches in which he tends to lack the finesse that is so typical of the political professional. Some might say that he lacks the ‘grandeur’ of his colleagues, but he has nonetheless proven to be very competent, dedicated and confident.  He is a self-proclaimed “post-Keynesian” and is expected to advocate strong pan-EU level initiatives to stimulate the economy and the job market.  One of the key dossiers he has to manage is the stagnant working time directive. His consensual style will certainly come in handy.