Romania receives the „People, Skills, and Preparedness” portfolio for Roxana Mînzatu in the upcoming European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen. Mînzatu will also serve as Executive Vice President of the European Commission. How important is this role?

Ursula von der Leyen announced on Tuesday that Roxana Mînzatu has been appointed Executive Vice President of the European Commission and will hold the portfolio for People, Skills, and Preparedness, as initially reported by G4Media. Mînzatu is one of six Executive Vice Presidents in the European Commission, alongside Teresa Ribera (Spain), Henna Virkkunen (Finland), Stéphane Séjourné (France), Kaja Kallas (Estonia), and Raffaele Fitto (Italy).

„I am very pleased to entrust Roxana Mînzatu with the role of Executive Vice President for People, Skills, and Preparedness. She will be responsible for skills, education, and culture, as well as quality jobs and social rights, under the umbrella of demographic issues. Roxana will lead efforts on building a Skills Union and advancing the European Pillar of Social Rights. She will focus on areas essential for uniting our society,” stated Ursula von der Leyen.

The Commissioner for Employment oversees one-fifth of the EU’s budget through the FSE+ program (European Social Fund Plus), worth €142 billion for the 2020-2027 multi-annual budget. However, this budget is mainly managed by member states, with the Commission playing only a supervisory role, according to the official website of the European Commission.

The portfolio for Skills, Education, Jobs, Social Rights, and Demography is not tied to the economic sector, as Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu had publicly expressed his desire for.

With the exception of social rights, the EU does not have direct competencies in the other areas of this portfolio. Education, demography, and skills training are primarily the responsibility of member states.

In fact, Ciolacu replaced his initial nominee for Commissioner, Victor Negrescu, specifically to secure a better portfolio after Ursula von der Leyen insisted on more women being appointed as European Commissioners.

In August, Ciolacu stated, „I want a portfolio in the economic sector.”

Currently, the position is held by Nicolas Schmit, the European Commissioner from Luxembourg.

The Commissioner for Skills, Education, Jobs, Social Rights, and Demography oversees the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion, with the primary budget under management being the European Social Fund Plus (FSE+).

The Commissioner for Employment manages EU labor legislation and regulations concerning labor mobility.

Ursula von der Leyen will officially announce the full list of Commissioners on Tuesday during a press conference, following discussions with the European Parliament leadership.

It is worth noting that only Romania and Slovenia complied with the European Commission President’s request to change their initial commissioner nominees and propose women for these positions.

Who is Roxana Mînzatu?

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) Member of the European Parliament is regarded as a professional with expertise in European funds, having less of a political profile. She served as the Minister for European Funds in the Dăncilă government (2019-2021). She has not been involved in any public scandals. According to a 2019 financial disclosure, her husband works at the Brașov Regional Customs Office.

In 2016, she was elected to the Romanian Chamber of Deputies representing Brașov, and in 2019, she was appointed Minister for European Funds in the Dăncilă government.

Other relevant information from her public CV:

• Mînzatu holds a degree in political science, taught in English.
• She is specialized in attracting non-reimbursable European funds, following several years as a consultant in the field and project manager.
• Previously, she served as an integration advisor at the Ministry of European Integration.
• In 2015, she was Secretary of State in the Ministry for European Funds and later became the head of the National Agency for Public Procurement.

More updates to follow.