Romania has obtained, for the first time since joining the European Union, the position of Executive Vice-President of the European Commission and one of the most important portfolios – Skills and Education, Jobs and Social Rights, Labour Mobility, prime minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Tuesday.

„A major portfolio, which will manage a fifth of the EU budget, 235 billion euros to be precise. Practically, Romania becomes part of the decision in the European Union. Ms. Roxana Minzatu, Romania’s proposed European Commissioner, will coordinate both the education and social policy areas, as well as the funding programmes related to these areas, namely the European Social Fund Plus, the Social Climate Fund and Erasmus+,” Ciolacu said in a post on his Facebook page.

According to the prime minister, „the Romanians’ efforts have also received well-deserved recognition through this portfolio that combines significant political weight and substantial EU funds, with solid legislative and political potential and essential access to Commission services and agencies”.

He added that, at present, Romania is represented at the highest level of EU leadership through the positions of Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner of one of the „most relevant” portfolios in the architecture of the new EU executive – Roxana Minzatu, Vice-President of the European Parliament – Victor Negrescu and Chairman of one of the most important committees in the EP – the REGIO Committee on Regional Development – Dragos Benea.

„These important positions occupied by Romania, through members of the European social-democratic family, clearly represent a first recognition of the role and importance of our country in the European Union. All those who denigrated our country and our ability to negotiate in Brussels have today been taught an extremely harsh lesson: it is never a good idea to speak ill of your country abroad, but to fight and contribute to its development,” the prime minister added.

According to AFP, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is due to announce in the European Parliament on Tuesday the composition of her future team, following the abrupt resignation of France’s European commissioner Thierry Breton.

AGERPRES