Marcel Ciolacu appointed a hairstylist as the head of the National Office for Gambling.
„Mr. Cristian-Gabriel Pascu is appointed as vice president, with the rank of undersecretary of state, at the National Office for Gambling,” stated the Prime Minister’s decision published in the Official Gazette on Monday.
The proposal comes from the Ministry of Finance, led by the liberal Marcel Boloş.
Cristian-Gabriel Pascu has no connection to the gambling industry, and he acknowledges that.
In his resume, we can see he has a diploma in hairdressing and only completed a private Law Faculty at Hyperion University at the age of 32.
He was a local councilor for the Liberal Party at the Sector 6 City Hall and a member of the Board of Directors of the Innovation and Urban Design Center of Sector 6.
He has mainly worked in the hairdressing industry, being the administrator of some beauty salons.
He was also a presenter at Euforia TV, a television channel focused on entertainment shows.
"I can't say I have specific experience in the field of gambling. My relevant experience is as an entrepreneur; I have had many businesses in various fields. I completed a law degree, had several business experiences. In general, in everything I do, I try to do it as best as I can," Pascu stated for G4Media.
When asked what is the legislation the National Office for Gambling was established and operates on, Pascu did not know: "If you ask me to know the legislation in the field, I really can't help you; it's a relatively new field. Think that the appointment was made last night, it's now 8 in the morning, and at this moment, you ask me to know the legislation. I was appointed there because when I was given a task, I completed it. Let me get into it, and I am at your disposal with all the details about the legislation."
The National Office for Gambling or ONJN is an institution under the Ministry of Public Finance. It was established in April 2013, through Emergency Ordinance no. 20/2013. The Romanian Government promoted a European principle that allows for the unified management of the gambling sector in Romania, being the first time that authorization, control, and monitoring of gambling activities are carried out by a single institution.
The USR (an Oposition Party) initiative "No slot machines near schools" was adopted over a year ago in the Senate, but it got stuck in the Chamber of Deputies.