A Romanian in the European Commission

Romania will have a new representative in the European Commission, who will take office on November the 1st.

Florentin Căpitănescu, 08.09.2014, 13:22

Social Democrat MEP Corina Cretu was confirmed as Romania’s candidate in the new European Commission, whose membership, approved by the European Commission president-elect Jean-Claude Juncker, is to be validated by the EU Council. Although her exact position is yet to be announced officially, PM Victor Ponta and deputy PM Liviu Dragnea said she might be in charge with regional development.

This is quite an important field in terms of the budget it disburses, and for that reason it is quite appreciated by the Romanian politicians. The same was true in the previous legislative cycle, when Romania’s Dacian Ciolos served as Agriculture Commissioner. But since Juncker decided his team would only include new members, Ciolos, highly appreciated as the mastermind of the reformed Common Agricultural Policy, had to step down.

Back in the country, the nomination of his successor was turned into another game of thrones, with the President and the Prime Minister once again at odds with each other over the nomination procedure. But in spite of the divergences between Power and Opposition, nothing seems to stand in Corina Cretu’s way to a European Commissioner seat.

This post would complete her political career. Having had no major position in the central administration and no extensive media coverage, Corina Cretu, an economist by training, is at her third term in office in the European Parliament since Romania’s EU accession in 2007. She will have no easy job in the Commission, however, because the performance of Dacian Ciolos has set rather high standards for his successors.