Romania names 2 candidates for spot in EU Commission

BUCHAREST, Romania – The Romanian government has named two more possible candidates to take the country’s place in the incoming European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen.

Romanian Prime Minister Ludovic Orban announced Wednesday that he would propose Siegfried Muresan and Adina-Ioana Valean for the post.

Romania’s initial candidate, nominated by the since-ousted Socialist government, was rejected by the European Parliament due to conflict of interest concerns, while a couple of other candidates proposed by the former government also failed to gain approval.

Both new candidates are members of Orban’s National Liberal Party and are also members of the European Parliament.

Muresan, an economist, is a vice-chairman of the European People’s Party group in the European Parliament, while Valean is chairwoman of its Committee on Industry, Research and Energy.