What is Andris Piebalgs?
[[File:Andris Piebalgs on March 31, 2010.jpg|200px|right]] '''Andris Piebalgs''' (born 17 September 1957, in [[Valmiera]]) is a [[Latvia]]n [[politician]]. Since 22 November 2004, he has been the [[European Commission]]er for [[Energy]]. He was born in [[Valmiera]] and was [[education|educated]] at the [[University of Latvia]] in [[Riga]]. He worked as a teacher in Valmiera in the 1980s. After Latvia became [[independence|independent]] from the [[Soviet Union|USSR]] he was [[education]] [[Minister (government)|minister]] (in charge of schools) from 1990 to 1993, and [[finance]] minister (in charge of money) from 1994 to 1995. He was Latvia's [[ambassador]] to [[Estonia]] from 1995 to 1997, and to the [[European Union]] from 1998 to 2003, when he helped Latvia join the [[European Union|EU]]. He also helped to start a [[political party]] called the [[Latvian Way]]. He speaks [[Latvian language|Latvian]], [[English language|English]], [[German language|German]], [[French language|French]], and [[Russian language|Russian]], and some [[Estonian language|Estonian]]. Before he was made a European Commissioner Piebalgs worked for [[Sandra Kalniete]], a member of the last Commission. == Other websites == * [http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/piebalgs/index_en.htm Official website] {{Barroso_Commission}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Piebalgs, Andris}} [[Category:1957 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:European Commissioners]] [[Category:Latvian politicians]]