During the European Parliament elections in May 2019, Šimečka was the leader of the coalition candidate Progressive Slovakia and Democrats, which won with a profit of 20.11%.[6] He was elected MEP with 81,735 preferential votes.[7] Later that November, Šimečka was elected rapporteur on the establishment of an EU Mechanism on Democracy, the Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights.[8]
In October 2020, Šimečka presented his proposal for a mechanism combining several tools which monitor the respect of rule of law and European values, which received majority support in the European Parliament.[9] He explained that the EU should do more to address the abuse of EU funding, writing that "an implicit bargain between net contributors and net recipients – we pay for market access, you are free to abuse funds" should end.[10]
From 2020 until 2021, Šimečka served as deputy chair of the Renew Europe parliamentary group, under the leadership of chair Dacian Cioloș.[11]
Following the 2023 Slovak parliamentary election, Šimečka gave up vice-presidency of the EP to focus on leading the opposition in Slovakia.[12] He received 92 votes, 29 MPs voted against and 21 abstained.[13]
LGBT views
Michal Šimečka supports the LGBT community and supported the Rainbow Ribbon campaign as up to 77% of LGBT+ people do not hold hands in public because they are afraid of being attacked.[14]
Personal life
Šimečka is the son of journalists Martin Milan Šimečka and Marta Šimečková (née Frišová).[15] He lives in Bratislava with his partner Soňa Ferienčíková and their daughter Táňa (b. 2020).[16]