UPDATE: Liberal MEP Ramona Manescu was named Transport Minister, after Romanian president Traian Basescu approved the proposal made by the Prime minister Victor Ponta earlier on Monday (August 26). Manescu was already sworn in, and will start her mandate on Tuesday, August 27.

Romania’s National Liberal Party PNL recently made two nominations for the Transport Minister position, namely Liberal MP Nini Sapunaru and MEP Ramona Manescu (in picture).

But Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta chose to propose Ramona Manescu for the job, and the proposal was already sent to the country’s president Traian Basescu on Monday morning (August 26), according to official sources, quoted by local news agency Mediafax.

Ramona Manescu was born in Constanta and has been a member of the European Parliament since 2007. She joined PNL back in 1990 and is currently member of the ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe) Group in the European Parliament.

After the previous Transport Minister Relu Fenechiu was found guilty by a court and was sentenced to five years in prison in a white collar crime case, Romania is set to have a new Transport Minister.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta first nominated liberal MP Ovidiu Silaghi for the job, in July. However, Silaghi withdrew his candidacy for the position of Transport Minister earlier this month, after prosecutors from the Anti-Corruption Department DNA announced that they would ask the Chamber of Deputies for permission to start criminal proceedings against him, in a case of influence trading during his previous term as Transport Minister in 2012.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(photo source: ramona-manescu.ro)