Politico lists 19 Romanians to watch during country’s EU Council presidency

Luminita Odobescu, the Romanian ambassador to the EU, and Corina Cretu, the EU Regional Policy Commissioner, lead a list of 19 Romanians to watch as the country holds the rotating EU Council presidency. Romania took over the presidency on January 1 and will hold it until the end of June. Odobescu, previously on Politico’s list of women who shape Brussels, is described as “well aware of the difficulties ahead” while Crețu “will likely play an important backstage role in Romania’s EU presidency.” Former agriculture minister Achim Irimescu is on the list as “the point man for agriculture policy under the Romanian presidency.” The list also includes a group of professionals working on various aspects of the digital single market - Ramona Niță, Lucian-Petru Dobrogeanu, Corina Panaitopol and Karina Stan, and communication expert Dana Manescu. MEP Siegfried Mureşan, Facebook's policy communication manager Ana Gradinaru, journalist Valentina Pop, and MEP Marian-Jean Marinescu are also listed, alongside Ștefan Staicu, working with Romania’s Permanent Representation in Brussels, MEP Cristian-Silviu Bușoi, MEP Adina-Ioana Vălean, Cosmin Boiangiu, a deputy ambassador at Romania’s mission to the EU, Doru Frantescu, the founder of VoteWatch Europe, and Mihaela Pop and Raluca Anghel, spokespersons of the Romanian Permanent Representation to the EU. The Politico article can be read here. Romanian philosopher, on Politico’s list of people shaping Europe in 2019 (Photo: The joint meeting of the Romanian Government and the College of Commissioners in Brussels, on December 5, 2018. Photo credit: European Union/ RO2019EU on Flickr)