Bogdan Alexandru Dragoi, 31 years old, is the new Minister of Public Finance. He already has around six years of high level experience in public institutions and is considered one of the "talented youngsters" of Romanian Finance, as he has been described by local media. A former State Secretary in the Finance Ministry, Dragoi has been in charge of securing more financing to cover the country’s debt and its budget deficit, either through bond issuances. As head of the Ministry, he will have to oversee an increase in revenues to the state budget, as the Ministry controls the country’s Taxation Agency.

Dragoi started his political ascendency as adviser to Anca Boagiu, when she held the leadership of the Ministry of European Integration. After this he was an  Under Secretary in the Ministry of Finance (September 2006 - november 2007), the general economic manager at Bucharest City Hall, during Adriean Videanu''s mandate. In January 2009 he returned to Finance, as Secretary of State, during the presidency of Gheorghe Pogea.

The connection between Bogdan Alexandru Dragoi and the Liberal Democratic Party seems to be strong. His father, Dan Dragoi, is considered a close family friend of Adriean Videanu, according to Romanian media. Dan Dragoi was linked to the Balli Group in the early '90s, which held business in oil, steel and other ferrous metals at that time .

Dragoi has also worked in the private sector, starting as a business analyst at the UK company Inquam Limited and later as an associate. From October 2004 to April 2006 he occupied the positions of vice president and shareholder of FocusSat SA Romania. Dragoi recently stepped down as Chairman of the Fondul Proprietatea's Board of Nominees.

He speaks English, French and Italian and graduated from Tufts Fletcher University of Boston, Massachusetts, with two specializations, International Relations and Economics, both graduated with Magna cum Laudae.

Alex Camburu, alex.camburu@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Gov.ro)