Nicolae Ștefănuță
Nicolae Ștefănuță | |
|---|---|
Ștefănuță in 2024 | |
| Vice-President of the European Parliament | |
| Assumed office 16 July 2024 Serving with See List | |
| President | Roberta Metsola |
| Member of the European Parliament for Romania | |
| Assumed office 2 July 2019 | |
| Constituency | Romania |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 January 1982 |
| Party | Health Education Nature Sustainability Party (2024-present) |
| Other political affiliations | Independent (2023-2024)[1] USR PLUS (2019–2023) Democratic Liberal Party (2007–?)[2] Democratic Party (until 2007) |
| Alma mater | Georgetown University (MPP) Diplomatic Academy of Vienna (MA) University of Vienna (MA) West University of Timișoara (BEcon) |
| Profession | Politician |
Nicolae-Bogdănel Ștefănuță or Nicu Ștefănuță (born 3 January, Rășinari, Sibiu County, Romania) is a Romanian politician, elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Romania in the ninth term (2019–2024)[3] of the European Parliament [EP], on the USR PLUS Alliance list, and re-elected in the tenth term (2024–2029) as an independent.[4] He is currently one of the Vice Presidents (VPs) of the European Parliament[5]. In this position, he coordinates portfolios related to foreign affairs, European democracy, relations with civil society and interinstitutional dialogue.[6]
Political career
Nicolae Ștefănuță's first job was as a diplomatic attaché at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2006[7].
In 2007, he joined the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL), where he was briefly an assistant to MEP Monica Iacob Ridzi, after which, in the same year, he became an official of the European Parliament Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development in the European Parliament. [8]
As a member of USR PLUS, Ștefănuță was elected as MEP in 2019. In parliament, in the first mandate, he served on the Committee on Budgets and on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. In 2020, he also joined the Special Committee on Beating Cancer.[9] Ștefănuță has been serving as the parliament’s lead rapporteur on the budget of the European Union for 2023.[10]
In addition to his committee assignments, Ștefănuță is part of the parliament's delegation for relations with the United States. He co-chairs the informal MEP Interest Group on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).[11] He is also a member of the European Parliament Intergroup on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development,[12] the European Parliament Intergroup on LGBT Rights,[13] the European Parliament Intergroup on Children’s Rights[14] and the European Parliament Intergroup on Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages.[15] He is also a member of the Disability Intergroup.
In March 2023, Ștefănuță left the Save Romania Union party and the Renew Europe parliamentary group for the Greens–European Free Alliance as an independent MEP.[16]
After the 2024 European elections, Ștefănuță has become the fourth independent in Romanian history to get a mandate. He got 3.08% of votes[17], which is above the 3% needed to get in as an independent.[18]
Political positions
In 2021, Ștefănuță joined seven other Romanian MEPs in co-signing a letter to Ursula von der Leyen and Maroš Šefčovič in which they call on the European Commission to stop the United Kingdom from holding EU nationals in immigration removal centres.[19]
Ștefănuță is a strong supporter of Palestine. He participated in a pro-Palestinian rally in Bucharest on 19 May 2024.[20] Later, on 20 June 2024, the management of the University of Bucharest called the gendarmes to evacuate the pro-Palestine protesters occupying its territory, Ștefănuță compared this event with the invitation of miners by President Ion Iliescu in 1990, which resulted in the infamous June 1990 Mineriad.[21]
Ștefănuță attended the 2024 Bucharest Pride,[22] and identifies as an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community.[23]
In July 2025, Ștefănuță endorsed and signed the Stop Killing Games initiative.[24]
References
- ^ Griera, Max (24 November 2023). "Defecting MEP goes solo to build up Romania's troubled greens". www.euractiv.com. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ^ "Nicolae Ștefănuță - USR - PLUS - Aghiotantul Monicăi Ridzi de la PDL cu un tată traseist cercetat penal pentru corupție". lumeapolitica.ro (in Romanian). 22 May 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
- ^ "Portret de candidat: Nicolae Ștefănuță". 14 May 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ "EuronewsRO". euronews.ro: Știri de ultimă oră, breaking news, #AllViews (in Romanian). 6 February 2026. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ "Home | Nicolae ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ | MEPs | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. 3 January 1982. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ "Home | Nicolae ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ | MEPs | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. 3 January 1982. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ Marinescu, Florin (11 June 2024). "Cine este Nicu Ștefănuță, singurul independent care a câștigat un mandat de europarlamentar / Și-a asumat deschis temele progresiștilor și se definește ca fiind un aliat al "comunității LGBTQIA+"". G4Media.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ "Portret de candidat: Nicolae Ștefănuță". 14 May 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ Members of the Special Committee on Beating Cancer European Parliament, press release of July 9, 2020.
- ^ Andreas Rogal (12 January 2022), European Parliament’s Special Cancer Committee adopts final report The Parliament Magazine.
- ^ MEPs join forces to boost European Parliament actions to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), press release of February 19, 2020.
- ^ Intergroup on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development European Parliament.
- ^ Members European Parliament Intergroup on LGBTI Rights.
- ^ Intergroup on Children’s Rights European Parliament.
- ^ Intergroup on Traditional Minorities, National Communities and Languages European Parliament.
- ^ "Romanian MEP Nicolae Ștefănuță joins Greens/EFA Group from Renew". www.greens-efa.eu. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ^ "Rezultatele finale ale alegerilor europarlamentare. Cine sunt românii care vor intra în Parlamentul European". Digi24 (in Romanian). 18 June 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ "Rezultate alegeri europarlamentare 2024. Europarlamentarul Nicu Ștefănuță a câștigat un nou mandat, din postura de independent". HotNews (in Romanian). 10 June 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
- ^ Cristina Gallardo (May 12, 2021), MEPs urge von der Leyen to tackle UK immigration detention of EU nationals Politico Europe.
- ^ "Comunicat de presă - Europarlamentar Nicu Ștefănuță" [Press release - MEP Nicu Ștefănuță] (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 20 May 2024.
- ^ Bularca, David Leonard (21 June 2024). "Europarlamentarul Nicu Ștefănuță, despre intervenția jandarmilor în cazul protestului pro-Palestina de la Universitatea București: "La fel a zis Ion Iliescu minerilor în 1990"" (in Romanian). HotNews. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
- ^ Iacob, Vlad (22 June 2024). "Marș pro-LGBT în Capitala Culturii. "Am fost vreo 2.000 de oameni, marea majoritate tineri, foarte tineri și extrem de tineri." Contramanifestație cu icoane". Ziare.com (in Romanian). Retrieved 21 May 2025.
- ^ Marinescu, Florin (11 June 2024). "Cine este Nicu Ștefănuță, singurul independent care a câștigat un mandat de europarlamentar / Și-a asumat deschis temele progresiștilor și se definește ca fiind un aliat al "comunității LGBTQIA+"". G4 Media (in Romanian). Retrieved 21 May 2025.
- ^ Bonifield, Stevie (13 July 2025). "'A game, once sold, belongs to the customer': Prominent EU politician stands up for Stop Killing Games". PC Gamer. Retrieved 14 July 2025.