Romanian Politicians With Discreet Activity in the European Parliament. They Didn’t Kill Themselves With Work, But They Still Have

Specifically, a member of the European Parliament initially has a net monthly allowance of 7,853 euros, in addition to the daily allowance of 350 euros, during the period of parliamentary activity. However, the generous sums did not mobilize some Euro-Romanians to work in the 2019-2024 legislature, however, the state for nothing motivated many of them to want another mandate.

Manda became internationally famous

Claudiu Manda has one of the most discreet activities in the European Parliament. The former PSD deputy came to public attention after an analysis by Politico showed that he was one of the leaders of the European forum, being absent in 43% of the voting sessions.

On the other hand, on the AssistEU portal, which monitors the activity of all MEPs, Manda had a presence of 74.13%, but the actual participation in the vote was 68.5%, far below his colleagues.

Manda does not excel in other chapters either. From the data on the European Parliament’s website (which however has problems with updating), but which can be corroborated with the AssistEu data, the social democrat has only two completed reports as rapporteur (but only for appointing some people in the position of member of the Court of Accounts, not for any legislative or budgetary proposal).

Instead, according to EP data, Manda has 53 reports as an alternative rapporteur (i.e. appointed by the political group to supervise the main responsible), for four resolution proposals he was a co-signatory and addressed three questions to the European institutions.

Manda did not have any intervention in the debates in the plenary, nor did he ask to explain any of his votes, which makes him one of the “expensive to talk” Euro-Lesians.

Benea, also targeted by Politico

Another politician from the PSD that Politico wrote about was Dragoș Benea, former head of the CJ Bacău. Benea ranks second in the category of “invisible” politicians, after the German Nico Semsrott.

“Romanian social democrat Adrian-Dragoș Benea shares Semsrott’s distaste for drafting laws (he has not worked on any) and submitting written questions (two), but has put his name to around 140 amendments, including one which he submitted himself,” is the presentation in Politico.

According to the AssistEU portal data, Benea has an attendance of 84.44% and voting participation of 82.65%, four proposals for resolutions and oral questions each, two contributions to plenary debates, but no report of his own or as shadow reporter. Dragoș Benea had only two interventions in the plenary debates.

The tail of the liberals

And among the PNL there are people who sometimes made more of a presence in the European Parliament. Mircea Hava, on an eligible seat on the PSD-PNL joint list for the June 9 elections, had a 97.33% turnout, and a 93.8% turnout in the voting sessions. Instead, the liberal did not really do much.

Hava has zero reports where he should have been primarily responsible and only one report where he was involved from the shadows, as well as four opinions as alternate rapporteur. He signed 20 motions for resolution, addressed four oral questions (to the European Commission, the Council or the High Representative for Foreign Policy) and spoke four times, in five years, at plenary debates.

Good in the mouth, but lacking in presence

Rareș Bogdan, first vice-president of PNL and leader of the EPP delegation in the European Parliament, was, in turn, presented as one of the chiulangii in the European Parliament, being absent at 32.8%, according to Politico. On the other hand, according to the data of the AssistEU portal, consulted by Libertatea, Rareș Bogdan has a presence of 88.66% at the voting sessions, but a participation of 77.96%.

With only one report as main rapporteur and one more as alternate rapporteur, the liberal signed 87 motions for resolutions, asked 57 questions, but had no less than 36 interventions in EP debates. Moreover, 340 times in five years he explained data in the European legislative forum.

The opening list of the PSD-PNL alliance for the elections of June 9, the social democrat Mihai Tudose has a presence of 91.42%, but an effective participation in the vote of 86.44%. With only three reports as an alternate rapporteur, three opinions as a shadow rapporteur, four motions for resolutions signed and 45 questions to which he demanded strict answers, Tudose ticked more than 35 interventions in plenary debates and 119 explanations of his votes .

Leaders of the Coalition

Siegfried Mureșan is the MEP from the Coalition who managed to pass the most reports (where he was mainly responsible), 10 in number (according to the AssistEU portal), among them the EU budget for 2024. The Liberal had three more opinions as rapporteur for opinion, 47 proposals for resolution and 149 interventions in plenary debates.

At the PSD, MEP Victor Negrescu ticked off five reports as rapporteur, 23 as alternative rapporteur, five opinions as rapporteur for opinion, 14 opinions as alternative rapporteur, seven resolution proposals, 168 interventions in plenary and 1,186 vote explanations. He also submitted 84 questions for written answer. Negrescu is the main responsible in the EP for the EU budget for 2025.

The situation in the Oppositione

From the United Right Alliance, Eugen Tomac (PMP) and Vlad Botoș (USR) are running for office. Eugen Tomac had a presence of 94.16% and a voting participation of 90.39%, being active especially during the speeches.

Tomac had 246 interventions in the plenary debates and 92 explanations of the vote. Instead, the PMP leader has no report as rapporteur and no opinion as rapporteur for the opinion. Tomac signed, together with colleagues from the EP, 107 motions for resolution and initiated a motion for resolution.

On the other hand, Vlad Botoș has a presence of 98.96% and a voting participation of 97.05%, according to AssistEU. With one report as main rapporteur and eight as alternative rapporteur, Botoș also has four as rapporteur for opinion and ten where he was alternative rapporteur for opinion.

Botoș had 166 interventions in plenary debates, 27 proposals for resolutions and 15 questions where he asked for a written answer.

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