President Nicușor Dan has designated Luca Niculescu, aged 55, as a candidate for the position of prime minister. Former editor-in-chief of RFI Romania and ambassador of Romania to France, Niculescu is a state secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the national coordinator of Romania’s accession process to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Studies in Bucharest and Strasbourg
Luca Niculescu was born on April 25, 1971, in Bucharest. He graduated from the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences at the University of Bucharest in 1995, and in 1996, he obtained a master’s degree in European journalism from the University Center for Journalism in Strasbourg.
His professional background is also presented on the biographical page published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
24 years in journalism
Luca Niculescu worked in the media from 1992 to 2016. He began his career at Radio Delta, later known as RFI Romania, where he started as a student intern. He served as a reporter, editor, and program host, and from 2000, he held the position of editor-in-chief of RFI Romania.
Additionally, he hosted television programs on Money Channel, TVR 1 (between 2007 and 2012), and Digi24. He was a permanent correspondent in Romania for French media institutions, including France Info, France Culture, France Inter, TV5, and the newspaper Libération. He also had a weekly column in Dilema Veche.
In 2010, he was named "European Journalist of the Year" by the European Institute in Romania. In 2008 and 2011, he received the award from the Romanian Television Professionals Association for the best talk show.
Ambassador to France, Monaco, and Andorra
In January 2016, Luca Niculescu was accredited as the ambassador of Romania to France by President Klaus Iohannis. Subsequently, he was also accredited to the Principality of Monaco and the Principality of Andorra. His mandate ended in 2022.
During this period, he represented Romania in relations with international organizations based in Paris, especially the OECD and the International Organization of La Francophonie.
Between 2019 and 2022, he served as the President of the Francophone Ambassadors Group in France.
On January 25, 2022, when the OECD Council decided to initiate accession discussions with Romania, Niculescu was still leading the Romanian Embassy in Paris. In an interview, he mentioned that the accession to the organization had been one of his priorities during his ambassadorial term.
Secretary of State and Coordinator of OECD Accession
Since September 1, 2022, Luca Niculescu has been serving as the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Romania's accession process to the OECD, and he is the national coordinator of this process.
The accession involves evaluating Romania's legislation, policies, and practices in various governance areas. The assessments aim to align with the organization's legal instruments and standards, covering economic policies, public administration, investments, integrity and anti-corruption measures, environmental protection, education, and health.
On May 5, 2026, Luca Niculescu announced that Romania had completed evaluations in 24 out of the 25 committees in the accession process.
In June 2026, Niculescu was nominated for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the cabinet that Eugen Tomac was attempting to form. Tomac resigned before the investiture vote.
Distinctions received from France and the Royal House
Luca Niculescu was awarded the Order of Arts and Letters in the rank of Commander by the French Ministry of Culture in 2019, and the Legion of Honor in the rank of Commander by the President of the French Republic in 2023.
In October 2022, he received the Cross of the Royal House during a ceremony held at the Royal Palace.