The parliamentary committees for foreign affairs and European affairs gave a favorable opinion on Tuesday, with 35 votes „in favor” and six „against,” granting Parliament’s confidence to Roxana Mînzatu, proposed for the position of European Commissioner on behalf of Romania.
Roxana Mînzatu, who is set to hold the portfolio ‘People, Skills, and Readiness’ and to serve as an Executive Vice President of the European Commission, stated during the hearings that the portfolio she is receiving accounts for nearly 20% of the European Union’s multiannual budget.
She mentioned that, as the Executive Vice President of the European Commission, she will also be responsible for coordinating emergency preparedness.
"Romania receives - and I am talking about Romania, not necessarily about myself, although the candidate is the one being evaluated and entrusted with the portfolio - a key role in the eastern part of the European Union, the role of Executive Vice President of the European Commission, alongside Spain, Finland, Italy, France, and, of course, alongside the High Representative for Foreign Affairs from Estonia.
Romania is very well positioned from the perspective of this Vice President position, which is closely related to how European legislation proposals are initiated and adopted within the European Commission," stated Mînzatu during the hearings.
She added that, additionally, the role she will fulfill as a European Commissioner relates to "a consolidation of portfolios from past exercises," mentioning that she will be responsible for social policies, employment, anti-poverty measures, as well as policies related to education and skills throughout life, at the level of the entire European Union.
"Furthermore, as Vice President, I will be coordinating emergency preparedness, a competence or a priority for which we are seeing key roles designated for the first time within the composition of the College of Commissioners. We have a Commissioner for crisis preparedness and we have a Vice President who coordinates civilian preparedness for emergencies, for crises, and this role is within my mandate," mentioned Mînzatu.
She emphasized that the portfolio for which she is proposed accounts for nearly 20% of the European Union's multiannual budget.
"From the start, I emphasize an aspect that I know matters, (...) it is a portfolio that accounts for nearly 20% of the European Union's multiannual budget: the European Social Fund Plus, almost 145 billion euros, including the national contribution (...), Erasmus Plus, the most popular instrument known by so many young people, educators - 26 billion euros, and the Climate Social Fund, which will be implemented from 2026, for which we are programming now and which will benefit households, individuals, SMEs, and transporters. These are financial instruments, non-repayable financing, which are under the direct coordination of the portfolio I have received," added Roxana Mînzatu.
She also mentioned that she will coordinate "two important structures of the European Commission, two directorates general," one dedicated to employment and social policies and the other dedicated to education and culture.
At the beginning of the committee session, PNL parliamentarians left the meeting, PNL's leader of deputies, Gabriel Andronache, stating that PNL was not consulted in the Government's designation procedure for the position of a member of the European Commission.