It was a case of third time lucky for Jozef Síkela.

First related to the energy portfolio, then to trade beatthe 57-year-old Czech eventually landed at DG INTPA — the inelegantly named Directorate-General for International Partnerships.

However, what might sound like a second-tier department is actually a key element of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s vision of an economic foreign policy guided by geopolitics. As the administrator of the €300 billion Global Gateway infrastructure initiative, Síkela will at least have money to play with as Brussels tries to compete with Beijing. The Belt and Road.

The former banker and industry minister brings business and crisis management skills at the table. He previously won respect for coordinating Europe’s response to an energy crisis — triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine — during his presidency of the Prague Council in late 2022.

We’ll be bringing you all the action live from 14:30 CET on 6 November.

Watch the live stream Here.

Background reading:

PS: If you want to follow more action from the hearings, our reporters will bring you blow-by-blow updates from all 26 commissioner interviews here.