BREAKING Romania nominates Roxana Mînzatu for European Commissioner following von der Leyen interview

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) Member of the European Parliament, Roxana Mînzatu (44 years old), has been officially proposed by Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu (leader of the Social Democratic Party and Prime Minister of Romania) for the position of European Commissioner, Ciolacu announced on Monday during a press conference. G4Media had already reported exclusively last Friday that Roxana Mînzatu was among the candidates suggested by Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu to Brussels. Mînzatu has previously served as the Minister of European Funds.

The PSD leader stated that „Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission) already had an interview with Roxana Mînzatu on Sunday, we will have a relevant portfolio.”

„I have discussions with the President of the European Commission about Romania’s portfolio. It will be a relevant portfolio, and the President of the European Commission will announce it. A commissioner is not appointed until an interview is conducted with the respective person. This interview took place on Sunday between Roxana Mînzatu and the President of the Commission. The President had nothing but praise for Roxana Mînzatu. She has an impressive professional CV, even though she doesn’t have a political one.”

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu’s initial option for Victor Negrescu (another member of the Social Democratic Party and a Member of the European Parliament), who was supported for the position of European Commissioner, fell through due to Ursula von der Leyen’s insistence on female candidates, G4Media.ro revealed on Thursday.

Who is Roxana Mînzatu?

The PSD Member of the European Parliament is considered a professional specializing in European funds, with less political profiling. She has not been involved in any public scandal. According to a 2019 asset declaration, her husband works at the Regional Customs Directorate in Brașov.

In 2016, she was elected to the Chamber of Deputies as a representative of Brașov, and in 2019, she was appointed Minister of European Funds in the Dăncilă Government (a Romanian government led by Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă from 2018 to 2019).

Other Relevant Information from Her Public CV:

• Mînzatu holds a degree in Political Science in English.
• She specializes in attracting non-reimbursable European funds, having worked for several years as a consultant and project manager in the field.
• Previously, she served as an Integration Advisor at the Ministry of European Integration.
• In 2015, she was a State Secretary in the Ministry of European Funds and later became the President of the National Agency for Public Procurement.

Context:

Romania has already announced that it is targeting an important economic portfolio. „Ciolacu is in daily discussions with von der Leyen,” political sources told G4Media.

Countries that have already submitted proposals have ignored von der Leyen’s request for each country to nominate both a man and a woman, allowing her to create a balanced set of positions and portfolios. European governments are not legally obliged to comply with this request. The proposal of a commissioner is strictly the prerogative of the countries, according to EU treaties, and the President of the Commission cannot reject them.