Nominating the socialist Parliament Vice-President worsens the headache for Ursula von der Leyen, who currently has just six confirmed women commissioners to serve from November.
European Parliament Vice-President Victor Negrescu is to be named Romania’s next commissioner, Euronews Romania reported today (20 August), citing unnamed sources.
The nomination of the Brussels-educated former EU affairs minister brings the tally of known candidates to serve in the EU executive as of November to 21, out of the total 27 member states.
But, with just six of the confirmed nominees women, the news poses a further headache for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who has previously made gender balance a key plank of her leadership.
Von der Leyen, who is meeting Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on Thursday in Brussels, has asked for candidate names by the end of August.
She will then allocate a policy area to each before submitting them to confirmation hearings at the European Parliament.
In July Negrescu told Euronews Romania there were “quite positive prospects” of securing a portfolio such as economics, the internal market, competitiveness and competition – suggesting Bucharest could be one of a number of capitals fighting to secure a small number of key roles in which Brussels holds significant power.
Negrescu, from Ciolacu’s Socialist Party, became an MEP in 2014, and has served on Parliament committees responsible for culture, education, industry, constitutional affairs and the EU budget.
He resigned as Romania’s EU affairs minister in 2018 after just one year, amid concern from Brussels over corruption and judicial independence in the country.
Educated in Brussels, Paris, Bruges and Bucharest, he previously worked as a journalist and university lecturer.
Other rumoured candidates had previously included MEPs Siegfried Mureşan, from the centre-right National Liberal party that also forms part of Bucharest’s governing grand coalition, and socialist Mihai Tudose.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis had previously been tipped as one candidate for von der Leyen’s role, and also put himself forward for the top job at NATO. There is now some speculation that he is seeking to become Brussels’ High Representative for Ukraine.
Romania’s previous representative at the Commission was Adina Vălean, the centre-right transport commissioner who resigned to take up her seat as an MEP in July, and member states agreed her position didn’t need to be filled for the short four-month hiatus.
