Věra Jourová

Věra Jourová (born 18 August 1964) is a Czech politician and lawyer who served as Vice-President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency from 2019 to 2024, and as the European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality from 2014 to 2019. In 2025, she received the Cena města Třebíče (Třebíč City Award), the highest honor awarded by the city of Třebíč.

Early life and education Jourová grew up in Třebíč in the Vysočina Region, where her parents, a kindergarten teacher and caterer, ran a folk troupe. She studied cultural anthropology at Charles University in Prague, while raising two children. Upon graduation, she returned to work in the Třebíč municipal office. In 2012, Jourová graduated with a magister degree from the Faculty of Law of Charles University.

Public sector career Jourová served as secretary and spokesperson of the Třebíč municipal office from 1995 until 2000. She later served as head of the Department of Regional Development for the Vysočina Region from 2001 to 2003. Jourová entered national politics when she was appointed to work as deputy head of the Ministry of Regional Development, where she led the European Integration Section until March 2006. Her responsibilities included leading the Czech team that negotiated EU funds with the European Commission and European Investment Bank, as well as managing EU funds in the Czech Republic.

In October 2006, Jourová was accused of accepting a 2 million Kč bribe from Ladislav Péťa, mayor of Budišov, South Moravia, in return for securing EU subsidies for the reconstruction of the Budišov Chateau. Between 2006 and 2013, Jourová was an independent consultant providing advice on EU matters to the Czech Republic, Romania, Germany, Belarus, Latvia, Estonia, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Moldova. Her popularity ratings remained consistently high, as the party finished in second place in the 2013 national elections and first in the 2014 European elections.

Member of the European Commission (2014–2024) Jourová testifies before the European Parliament in 2019 for confirmation as Vice-President and Commissioner for Values and Transparency. In July 2014, the three parties in the Czech government agreed to nominate Jourová as the country's next European commissioner. At the time, there was speculation she was being considered for the posts of European Commissioner for Regional Policy or Internal Market and Services. she was confirmed as the European Union's Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality in the Juncker Commission. The Corporate Europe Observatory "expressed serious doubts" about her possible conflicts of interest due to her ties with ANO chair and billionaire businessman Andrej Babiš, who was also the Czech Finance Minister.

Her responsibilities as Commissioner included gender equality, judicial cooperation within the EU, and privacy concerns, including concluding negotiations on a comprehensive EU-U.S. Safe Harbor Agreement and working with the Vice-President for the Digital Single Market Andrus Ansip to pass EU data protection reform, and modernise and simplify consumer rules for online and digital purchases. In addition, her portfolio included "overseeing remuneration rules across the City of London, enforcing EU pay curbs and bonus caps", which had been explicitly carved out of Jonathan Hill's portfolio as Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union "amid concerns that members of the European Parliament will try to veto his appointment". In 2018, Jourová was put in charge of drafting rules to assess the independence and functioning of a country's judicial system as a condition for receiving funds from the budget of the European Union.

Jourová said that Germany acted "according to the rules" regarding Spain's extradition request for Catalan president Carles Puigdemont. Following the 2019 European elections, Babiš nominated Jourová for a second term in the European Commission.

In April 2021, Jourová was included in a list of eight public officials banned by Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs from entering the country in retaliation for EU sanctions on Russians.

Later career After leaving the European Commission, Jourová became an adviser to President Petr Pavel on European and international affairs. Since 2025, she has also been serving as Pro-Rector for Human Resources Development and New Technologies of Charles University.

Other activities Jan Karski Foundation, Member of the Award Committee for the Jan Karski Eagle Award (since 2024)