Peter Žiga
Member of the National Council
Assumed office
20 March 2020
Minister of Economy
In office
23 March 2016 – 21 March 2020
Prime MinisterRobert Fico
Preceded byVazil Hudák
Succeeded byRichard Sulík
Minister of Environment
In office
4 April 2012 – 23 March 2016
Prime MinisterRobert Fico
Preceded byJózsef Nagy
Succeeded byLászló Sólymos
Personal details
Born (1982-07-27) 27 July 1982
Košice, Czechoslovakia
(now Slovakia)
Political partyVoice – Social Democracy
Direction – Slovak Social Democracy
SpouseRenáta Žigová
Children2
EducationUniversity of Economics in Bratislava

Peter Žiga (born 27 July 1972 in Košice, Czechoslovakia) is a Slovak politician and businessman, a member of the National Council for Voice – Social Democracy (Hlas-SD), and previously Direction – Social Democracy (SMER-SD). He was formerly Minister of the Environment (2012–2016) and Minister of the Economy (2016–2020) of Slovakia.

Political career

Žiga served as a state secretary for the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic from 2006 to 2010. He was a SMER-SD Member of Parliament from 2010 to 2012, returning in 2012 to be Minister of the Environment. In 2016, he moved to become Minister of Economy.

In June 2020, Žiga left SMER-SD with 10 fellow MPs and former prime minister Peter Pellegrini, to establish a new political party, Voice – Social Democracy (Hlas-SD).

Corruption allegations

Since the beginning of his term as Minister of the Environment, Žiga has been investigated for corruption related to state-owned forests, from which his own private company is alleged to have benefited.[1][2] The current government, elected in 2020, has launched investigations into several cases dating from during Žiga's tenure at the Ministry of the Environment, including alleged theft of public funds and Eurofunds, signing of unfavorable contracts for the export of timber, and channelling of millions in European Union subsidies to companies connected with SMER-SD.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Staronovému ministrovi Žigovi sype jeho biznis s drevom stále viac". Trend.sk. 23 March 2016. Retrieved 4 Jun 2020.
  2. ↑ "Do vyšetrovania Žigovej firmy sa zapojil Kováčik". Sme.sk. 25 June 2019. Retrieved 4 Jun 2020.
  3. ↑ "Polícia obvinila z korupcie bývalého manažéra štátnych lesov". Sme.sk. Retrieved 4 Jun 2020.


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