Introduction
Peter Kažimír (born 28 June 1968) is the president of the National Bank of Slovakia. In the years 2006 – 2010 he served at the Slovak Finance Ministry. From April 4, 2012 to April 11, 2019, he was the Finance Minister of the Slovak government under prime ministers Robert Fico and Peter Pellegrini. He was a senior member of the social-democratic SMER-SD party, but resigned after he became president of the National Bank.
Political career
In 2015, Kažimír was part of a team that secured the investment of Jaguar Land Rover in a £1bn plant, beating off stiff competition from Poland and Mexico. In the second half of 2016, during Slovakia’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, he officially represented the EU and the Eurogroup at the G20 and G7 meetings as well as the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
By November 2017, Kažimír submitted his formal application for succeeding Jeroen Dijsselbloem as the next chairman of the Eurogroup. At the vote on December 4, he withdrew after the first round and Mário Centeno was eventually elected to the post.
In December 2019, the National Council approved Kažimír as the government’s nominee to succeed Jozef Makuch in the office of the president of the National Bank of Slovakia. He took up the post on 1 June 2019.
Other activities
European Union organizations
- European Central Bank (ECB), Ex-Officio Member of the Governing Council (since 2019)
- European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB), Ex-Officio Member (since 2019)
- European Investment Bank (EIB), Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (2012-2019)
International organizations
- European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (2012-2019)
- Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), World Bank Group, Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (2012-2019)
- World Bank, Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (2012-2019)
Corporate boards
- National Nuclear Fund for Decommissioning of Nuclear Installations (NJF), Member of the Supervisory Board (2006-2010)
- DDP Credit Suisse Life & Pensions, Member of the Supervisory Board (2001-2006)
Political positions
According to the Financial Times, Kažimír developed a strong record on managing Slovakia’s public finances since taking office. He earned respect for keeping budget deficits under control and became known for his tough stance in the eurozone’s negotiations with debt-plagued Greece.