MEP Roxana Minzatu, Romania's official nominee for European Commissioner

PSD MEP Roxana Minzatu is Romania's official candidate for European Commissioner, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced on Monday.

While the social-democrat leader said that the head of the EU executive, Ursula von der Leyen, has already interviewed Roxana Minzatu, coalition partner PNL president Nicolae Ciuca said that the portfolio for Romania must first be decided.

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu says he will discuss Romania's portfolio with the head of the European Commission in the near future.

The Prime Minister points out that the area will be determined by Ursula von der Leyen, but assures that it will be relevant.

Marcel Ciolacu: From my point of view, the most important thing is the future portfolio that the commissioner nominated by Romania will take over, and less the person. It's true, I have discussions with the President only about the future portfolio that Romania will represent.

The Liberals, the partners in government, are waiting to see which area will go to Romania. PNL leader Nicolae Ciuca says the options are the enlargement portfolio or the agriculture portfolio.

Nicolae Ciuca: For the moment we don't know which portfolio we get and we are in a hurry to have these nominations. The Social Democratic Party wants the internal market portfolio. We want the other two portfolios. One of them, in the end, must go to Romania, and when we have the portfolio we can make a clear decision on the name of the Commissioner.

The composition of the next EU executive is to be announced on September 11.

Roxana Minzatu has a degree in political science in English, she was MP for Brasov in the last legislature and in 2019 she was appointed minister of European funds in the Dancila government.

Translated by: Radu Matei