Roxana Mînzatu, endorsed by the Romanian Parliament

The specialized committees of the Romanian Parliament have endorsed Government’s proposal for the office of European Commissioner

Bogdan Matei, 06.11.2024, 14:00

Romanian Government’s proposal for the position of European Commissioner in the future Community Executive, the Social Democrat Roxana Mînzatu has been endorsed by the specialized committees of the Romanian Parliament. Roxana Minzatu joined the Social Democratic Party in 2000, at the age of 20 and then held several offices, such as deputy in Romania’s Parliament, European MP, minister of European Funds, though quite briefly, to finally be proposed for one of the positions of vice-president in the future European Commission, where she will also hold the portfolio “People, Skills and Preparedness”.

In this capacity, she said, she will be responsible for approximately 20% of the European Union’s multiannual budget. She specified that the position of executive vice-president of the Commission includes coordination in the area of preparation for emergency situations.

Roxana Manzatu: “For the first time, Romania is part of the leadership of the European Commission. I represent not only Romania, in a way, but also the countries that joined after 2004, after 2007, Eastern Europe, and I think it is important that we recognize that we have this role at the level of the Commission. A very important portfolio, also, in which I directly coordinate funds of over 240 billion euros. We are talking here about the European Social Fund, the Social Fund for Climate, Erasmus, plus money that is coming into Romanians’ pockets already. We discussed education and skills, how we will support Europeans who are increasingly affected by poverty, but I will be involved in all the policies and decisions that will be made in the Commission that are obviously relevant at the European level.

After an apparently convincing performance in front of the Romanian parliamentarians, Roxana Mînzatu received a favorable opinion, with 36 votes for and only six against. The Liberals did not participate in the hearing, dissatisfied that the National Liberal Party was not consulted by the Social-Democratic partners in the appointment procedure.

Media outlets in Bucharest say that the liberal boycott is only an episode in the soap opera of love and hate between PSD and PNL, which govern together, but are also sworn rivals in the presidential and parliamentary elections due in just a few weeks.

In terms of procedure, Roxana Mînzatu will also be heard by the Employment and, respectively, Culture and Education Committees of the European Parliament. According to the Radio Romania correspondent in Brussels, her hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, November 12. The commentators are already betting on a favorable opinion for the Romanian candidate and from the MEPs, as the specialized committees follow, in general, the arithmetic of the plenum of the new Community Legislature, dominated by the three main political families that supply human resources to the Commission as well: the EPP, the Socialists and the Liberals. (MI)