On Tuesday, 1 October, the executive committee of the Romanian Socialist Party in power nominated MEP Dan Nica (S&D) as a new candidate for the post of European Commissioner for Romania, replacing Rovana Plumb, according to a Romanian source.
As we go to press, Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă has not yet made an official statement.
Moreover, since this option would lead to a woman being replaced by a man among the commissioners and since Hungary has already proposed a man to replace László Trócsányi (see EUROPE 12338/9), accepting this choice would lead European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen to move away from her valued objective of parity (potentially 12 women and 15 men, compared to 13 and 14 initially).
Initially appointed Commissioner for Transport by Mrs von der Leyen, Mrs Plumb’s application was rejected on Monday by the European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs. (French original version by Damien Genicot)