Romanian PM names social-democrat’s rising star Claudiu Manda as Budget Minister

Romania’s Prime Minister Victor Ponta recently appointed Claudiu Manda to replace Liviu Voinea at the helm of the Budget Ministry. Manda, 38, is one of the new rising stars of Romania’s Social Democratic Party (PSD). He’s executive president of PSD Dolj, one of the most important organizations of the party, and in 2012 he won a third mandate as deputy in Romania’s Parliament. He’s currently a member of the budget and finance commission in the Chamber of Deputies. Manda graduated the Economic Sciences Faculty of the Craiova University in 1998 and in 2009 he started a doctorate in economics at the Valahia University in Targoviste. He also graduated the National Defense College, which most local high-profile politicians have in their CVs. Unlike his predecessor at the Budget Ministry, Liviu Voinea, who is more of a technocrat, and also a finance professor, Manda is a pure bred politician. He started as member of the local council in Craiova, from 2000 to 2004. Then he got his first deputy mandate and became general secretary of PSD’s youth organization (TSD) which was at that time led by Victor Ponta. Claudiu Manda is of the same generation as PM Victor Ponta, 41, who supported the naming of young politicians to key positions in Romania’s administration. Manda also organized the national convention of the PSD in Craiova, at the end of July, where Ponta officially announced his candidacy for Romania’s presidential elections in November this year. Liviu Voinea, also 38, will leave the Budget Ministry to take a deputy governor position in Romania’s National Bank (BNR) board, in October this year. Andrei Chirileasa, andrei@romania-insider.com (photo: Claudiu Manda on Facebook)