Vytenis Andriukaitis - EU Commissioner on Food & Health

Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis was appointed European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety in November 2014.

He was born 9 August in Siberia, then his family was deported in 1941. He returned in 1959 with his mother and two brothers. His father was allowed to return only one year later.

Vytenis Andriukaitis graduated in medicine in 1975 and has been practicing surgeon, specializing in cardiovascular surgery in 1989, for more than 20 years. He also holds a degree in History from Vilnius University, acquired in 1984.

As of 1969 he was active in the anti-Soviet movement. His political engagement started already in 1976. He was one of the founders of the Lithuanian social-democrat party. In 1990 he was elected to the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania, which preceded Seimas (Lithuanian Parliament), and was one of the co-authors of Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania adopted in 1992 as well as a signatory of independence act of Lithuania.

Andriukaitis was a Member of Parliament for six mandates. During that period he has been the Deputy Chairman of Committee on European Affairs, the member of Foreign Affairs Committee and Vice-President of Social-Democrat party. The Commissioner has also led the Lithuanian delegation to the Convention on the Future of Europe. From 2012 to 2014, Vytenis Andriukaitis was Minister for Health.