{{Short description|Polish politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Marek Balt | honorific_suffix = [[Member of the European Parliament|MEP]] | image = Marek Balt 2020 (cropped).jpg | image_size = | alt = | office = [[List of members of the European Parliament, 2019–2024|Member of European Parliament]] | term_start = 1 July 2019 | term_end = 9 June 2024 | preceded = | succeeded = | party = [[Democratic Left Alliance (Poland)|Democratic Left Alliance]] (until 2021)<br/> [[New Left (Poland)|New Left]] (since 2021-2025)<br/> [[New Wave (Polish political party)|New Wave]] (since 2025) | other_party = [[European Coalition (Poland)|European Coalition]] (2019)<br/>[[Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats]] (Since 2019) | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|04|08|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Częstochowa]], [[Polish People's Republic|Poland]] | death_date = | occupation = politician, economist | alma_mater = [[Częstochowa University of Technology]] }}

'''Marek Paweł Balt''' (born 8 April 1973) is a [[Polish politician]] and [[economist]] who has been serving as a [[Member of the European Parliament]] since the [[2019 European Parliament election|2019 elections]].

==Early life and education== Balt holds a Master's degree in business management from the [[Częstochowa University of Technology]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://netformator.pl/publicystyka/wydarzenia/z-regionu/1630-spotkanie-marekbaltre|title=Spotkanie z kandydatem na PosÅ'a Markiem Baltem -SLD|date=2016-03-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304131953/http://netformator.pl/publicystyka/wydarzenia/z-regionu/1630-spotkanie-marekbaltre|access-date=2019-01-25|archive-date=2016-03-04}}</ref> In 2017, he also graduated from [[WSB University]] (Wyższa Szkoła Biznesu w Dąbrowie Górniczej until 15 April 2018).

==Political career== ===Career in local politics=== In 2004, Balt first ran for elections to the [[European Parliament]] as Poland became a member of the [[European Union]]. As he did not manage to get a place at the European Parliament that year, later in the [[Local elections in Poland|local elections]] in 2006<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wybory2006.pkw.gov.pl/kbw/wynikiRadaMiasta2d10.html?jdn=246401|title=Geografia wyborcza - Wybory samorządowe - Państwowa Komisja Wyborcza|website=wybory2006.pkw.gov.pl|access-date=2019-01-25}}</ref> and in 2010,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wybory2010.pkw.gov.pl/geo/pl/240000/246401.html#tabs-4|title=Wybory Samorządowe 2010 - Geografia wyborcza - Województwo śląskie - - m. Częstochowa|website=wybory2010.pkw.gov.pl|access-date=2019-01-25}}</ref> he was elected to [[Częstochowa City Council]]. From 2010 to 2011, he was the chairman of the City Council.

===Member of the Parliament of Poland, 2011–2015=== In the [[2011 Polish parliamentary election|parliamentary elections in 2011]], he obtained a parliamentary mandate and received 5378 votes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wybory2011.pkw.gov.pl/wsw/pl/sjm-28.html|title=Wybory 2011|website=wybory2011.pkw.gov.pl|access-date=2019-01-25}}</ref> In 2012, he was elected as a chairman of the SLD structures in the [[Silesian Voivodeship]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dziennikzachodni.pl/posel-marek-balt-nowym-szefem-slaskiego-sld-zaborowski-przeglosowany/ar/538619#wiadomosci|title=PoseÅ' Marek Balt nowym szefem Å›lÄ…skiego SLD. Zaborowski przegÅ'osowany|last=Stech|first=Witold|website=Dziennikzachodni.pl|language=pl|access-date=2019-01-25}}</ref> During his service at the [[Parliament of Poland|Polish Parliament]], Balt was a member of the Health Committee, member of the Committee for Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry, member of the Committee for Senior Affairs, and vice-chairman of the standing subcommittee for monitoring waste management. In the [[2015 Polish parliamentary election|2015 parliamentary elections]], he did not get a place again.

On 23 January 2016, Balt became vice-chairman of SLD.<ref>{{Citation|title=Marek Balt|date=2018-11-01|url=https://pl.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marek_Balt&oldid=54912103|work=Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia|language=pl|access-date=2019-01-25}}</ref> In the [[2018 Polish local elections|local elections in 2018]], Balt was elected a councilor to the [[Silesian Regional Assembly]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wybory2018.pkw.gov.pl/pl/geografia/240000#results_elect_council|title=Wybory samorządowe 2018|website=wybory2018.pkw.gov.pl|access-date=2019-01-25}}</ref>

===Member of the European Parliament, 2019–present=== Balt has been a [[Member of the European Parliament]] since the [[2019 European Parliament election|2019 European elections]], representing the [[Silesian (European Parliament constituency)|Silesian Voivodeship]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://czestochowa.wyborcza.pl/czestochowa/7,48725,24833432,eurowybory-2019-marek-balt-eurodeputowanym-waza-sie-losy-jego.html?disableRedirects=true|title=Wyborcza.pl|website=czestochowa.wyborcza.pl|access-date=2019-10-18}}</ref> In parliament, he has since been serving on the [[European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety|Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety]]. In addition to his committee assignments, he is part of the parliament's delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the [[Association of Southeast Asian Nations]] (ASEAN).<ref>[https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/197495/MAREK+PAWEL_BALT/home Marek Balt] [[European Parliament]].</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == Personal profile of [https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/197495/MAREK+PAWEL_BALT/home Marek Balt] in the [https://www.europarl.europa.eu/portal/en European Parliament's] database of members. {{Current EP Poland}} {{EP Political Group S&D}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Balt, Marek}} [[Category:1973 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:MEPs for Poland 2019–2024]] [[Category:Alumni of WSB University]]