Romania’s Social Democratic Party reveals EU elections nominees

Romania’s Social Democratic Party (PSD) has announced the list of party members who have been nominated as candidates for the upcoming European Parliament elections in May.
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By Martin Banks

Martin Banks is a senior reporter at the Parliament Magazine

01 Apr 2019

The party's list consists of 44 members of PSD said to represent a “wide spectrum” of backgrounds and experience.

Among the candidates are veterans of Romanian politics, the media and human rights activism.

Members of the PSD are often perceived as being among the EU’s most enthusiastic supporters, having taken Romania into the EU in 2007, with the overwhelming backing of the electorate.

The announcement comes against a backdrop of mounting speculation about the composition of lists from other countries.

Last week, Emmanuel Macron's party revealed its top candidates for the European elections. These include people from political, social and economic backgrounds, including two foreigners.

Lead candidate Nathalie Loiseau, France's outgoing Europe minister, said Macron's La République En Marche (LREM) party and its allies want to be "the unavoidables of Europe".

The party is, according to predictions, on course to come first in France in May's election and win 24 seats.

"The PSD group in the European Parliament has always fought strenuously for the interests of our country and to ensure Romania’s further integration within the Union. After the May election, they will work with their peers to further the rights of all citizens and all Member States across the EU" Liviu Dragnea, PSD President

The list of En Marche's first 30 candidates, out of a total of 79, is composed equally of women and men and casts a wide political net.

Commenting on Romania’s 2019 candidate list, PSD president Liviu Dragnea told this website, “We are excited about our prospects in this election. Our party is deeply committed to the EU, to its values and to its future."

Dragnea added, "The PSD group in the European Parliament has always fought strenuously for the interests of our country and to ensure Romania’s further integration within the Union.”

“After the May election, they will work with their peers to further the rights of all citizens and all Member States across the EU.”

Heading the candidate list is Minister of European Funds and PSD Vice-President Rovana Plumb.

Her political activity spans 25 years, during which she has been a member of the National Parliament for three legislative terms, member of the European Parliament and member of Romanian Government.

Carmen Avram is second in the PSD list. Having had 27 years of career as a journalist, she was the producer and presenter of the prestigious and award-winning TV program “In Premiere with Carmen Avram.”

Former deputy Prime Minister Dan Nica, leader of the PSD group in the current European Parliament, is among the candidates.

An engineer, Nica was communications minister in Romania until 2014, when he stepped down to serve as an MEP.

Others include incumbent MEP Maria Grapini, the only Romanian MEP to receive an award in The Parliament Magazine’s MEP Awards for 2019. She won the internal market and consumer protection category.

She began her political life shortly after the 1989 Romanian revolution and became an MEP in 2014.

Also listed is Cristian Terhes, a priest who is a leader of the Romanian Community Coalition in the US and a long-time campaigner for human rights in Romania and on behalf of Romanians abroad.

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