Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced that on Monday he will send the proposal for the position of European Commissioner on behalf of Romania to the European Commission.
Asked before the meeting of the National Political Council of the PSD whether he had sent the proposal for European Commissioner to Brussels, Ciolacu said: „I spoke with the head of the European Commission. After the party meeting, I will go to the Government and send the proposal.”
The Prime Minister mentioned that he will submit a single proposal for this position, according to Agerpres.
Ciolacu initially announced his intention to nominate Victor Negrescu.
- Ciolacu steps back with Negrescu? Does not exclude nominating a woman as European Commissioner
- Only one country respected Ursula von der Leyen's requirement to propose a man and a woman for the position of EU Commissioner
What Negrescu Says
PSD MEP Victor Negrescu stated on Monday that the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, had requested a woman from Romania for the position of European Commissioner.
Victor Negrescu was asked at the Palace of Parliament if he still appeared among the proposals for the position of European Commissioner on behalf of Romania.
"I thank the Prime Minister for mentioning my name in the last three weeks. As you know, Romania has not made any official proposal and being now alongside Belgium, the last two states that have not made an official proposal, we are currently in discussion with the President of the European Commission regarding gender balance. President Ursula von der Leyen has apparently requested a woman from Romania, in an attempt to achieve this parity at the level of the European Commission.
This is the criterion. Personally, in the last three weeks, I have tried my best to present what I have achieved at the European Parliament level, I am the Vice President of the European Parliament, the Vice President of the European Socialists, and obviously, it is impossible for me to meet the criterion that Ursula von der Leyen introduced in the discussions with the Romanian Executive," Negrescu said to Agerpres.
He mentioned that he will support any proposal Marcel Ciolacu makes for this position.
Roxana Mânzatu Could Be Romania's Nomination
In this context, social democratic sources told News.ro that Roxana Mânzatu could be Romania's nomination for the position of European Commissioner.
It is not yet known what portfolio Romania will receive.
Roxana Mânzatu heads the Department for Integrated Evaluation and Monitoring of Programs funded from public and European funds, holding the rank of Secretary of State.
She is 44 years old and graduated from the Faculty of Political Science and Administration (specialization in English Political Science) at the University of Bucharest (2002), holds a master's degree in European Integration (2005), and is a graduate of the Public Leadership Credential program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government (2022).
According to the CV posted on the Government's website, she has extensive experience in the field of European funds, acquired in the private sector, non-governmental sector, and through public positions.
Starting in 2004, she was an integration advisor in the Ministry of European Integration, a consultant, project manager, and trainer in companies in Bucharest, Brussels, and Brasov, led the Romanian Business School Foundation - Brasov, prepared and implemented projects with European or national funding for companies, local public administrations, and non-governmental organizations.
Roxana Mânzatu has also held public office positions. She was a PSD county councilor in the Brasov County Council (2004-2008, 2011-2012). In 2009, she was the sub-prefect of Brasov County (March-October 2009).
In 2015, as a Secretary of State in the Ministry of European Funds and later as President of the National Agency for Public Procurement, she coordinated the development and implementation of the public procurement reform strategy and the package of public procurement laws. She served as a PSD deputy for Brasov (December 2016-December 2020) and was Minister of European Funds (June 10 - November 4, 2019).