You are the Minister of Youth and Sports since 2017, what is your first assessment after almost 2 years?
First of all, you must know that I have been minister since January 29, 2018. Secondly, it is important to emphasize that the MJS (Ministry of Youth and Sports) has two important details, youth and sport, they are complementary but with relatively different approaches. Therefore, when we talk about results, regardless of how much time has elapsed since I have been minister, the results must be understood through these two complementary reference criteria.
Since results must be expressed concretely, as the entire management practice, it must first be emphasized that the performance indicators we report are defined in the governance program of the Alliance PSD-ALDE. This program brought us victory in the 2016 elections, thus meeting the expectations of Romanians.
The dynamics of the performance of MJS is consistent with the dynamics of the whole government act. It is a complex and integrated process in a coherent way.
Let me introduce some important programs we have created or pursued, as well as some numbers, to keep us in the management area. The involvement of MJS in the further education of youth is very clear if we look at the number of young people who participated in the 61 national, thematic, Olympic or Youth Against Corruption camps we organized this year: nearly 6,000 young people.
We have implemented the National Career and Vocational Guidance Program, in partnership with the Ministry of National Education, in each County Directorate of the country and in Bucharest – 42 centres.
We continued the development of the ARC Program, in partnership with the Ministry of Romanians Abroad, for young Romanians from the historical diaspora. 3,000 young Romanians came to Romania in 2018 (by comparison, in 2017 there only came 2,000) and they studied history, culture and Romanian language.
We stimulated young entrepreneurs to increase the budget allocated to the National Contest of Youth Projects from 2 million lei in 2017 to 3 million lei in 2018. 50,000 lei is the maximum amount of funding. Also, we continued the National Contest for Student Projects for which we allocated 900,000 lei.
We took care of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and allocated 2.7 million lei to the youth project competition.
We launched The Youth Law, approved in July 5, 2018 by the Romanian Government, which created the legal framework for the creation of community youth centres by local public administration authorities.
With regard to performance sports, the MJS’s main obligation is the support of specialized federations. We fund them essentially according to budget and the needs of each federation. The state cannot shoulder the preparation of the sports performances or the results of our champions; but the state must support sports performance. We have financing agreements with 63 sports federations.
On the other hand, we have the responsibility of sport as a mass phenomenon. We started, by the National Investment Company, the Program for Sports Centres in Every Commune, where we will build 400 new sports centres – small, medium or large – throughout Romania.
The MJS has also developed the Romania in Movement program. It is an extremely important program with clear objectives, involving at least 5,000 students in each county and 15,000 in Bucharest per year. At least 60% of the total number of participating students will come from localities with less than 10,000 inhabitants. As part of this program, we will organize competitions for at least 3 sports disciplines (including 2 team games and different sports, at the discretion of each local entity, according to the tradition, the material bases, the human potential and the number of legally constituted sports structures).
In mid-2017, MJS launched a national sports recruitment program, the “Champions of Romania” program, and more than 100 sporting events were held across the country this year, in partnership with the Ministry of National Education.
What are the major reforms and major projects that you wish to lead?
We live in a very dynamic world. The changes in society are taking place at a high speed. I understand them, I am one of the youngest ministers in this cabinet, and the desire to do things well, for the benefit of Romanians, must be expressed in the light of these realities. That’s why I think the most important reform for the ministry I lead is decentralization. To transfer decision-making power, as well as heritage, to local communities. It’s a complex reform, and beyond patrimonial or financial decisions, change management really matters. We have established legal parameters and we are now working on the details. This is a paradigm shift that Romania needs.
Regarding the “big projects”, I will say that we are working, alongside the National Investment Company and other state structures, to prepare the bases that will host EURO 2020 football matches. Another example in this category: I have accomplished the normative acts necessary for the creation of two national sports complexes, one in Baia-Mare and the other in Bucharest. It is important to remember that these are the first national sports complexes established after more than 18 years.
After more than 10 in Europe, what are the exchanges with Europe that exist? Are they sufficient from your point of view?
We have been members of the EU for eleven years but we have always been Europeans. I have had a few years during the December 1989 Revolution. I grew up and formed myself in freedom, but the evolution of Romania, since 1990, has been strongly influenced by the communist legacy. Our entry into the EU has been a confirmation that we are on the right road. The opening of the EU and the relations developed with the European countries precipitated the positive evolution of Romania. Also, we have done our homework and Europe supported us.
The exchanges you mentioned were beneficial to both parties. Our integration has been with the help of the capital of major Western companies and with the help of European funds, but Romania has also added value, as each EU country.
If they have had enough of the exchanges? This sounds more like a trick question. How can we evaluate? By our standard of living? After having a large number of Romanians working across borders? In a fast developing world, there is never enough. But what seems to me extremely important is that Romania’s voice is becoming more and more important in the European “mechanism”. In other words we are adults and the tendency and the desire to be true equal partners is only natural.
What, from your point of view, are the values that Youth and Sports hold for future generations?
Young people naturally look to the future as athletes watch the big competitions that await them. We are talking about hope and optimism. Add to that courage, creativity, solidarity and a great capacity for work and also something else: young people are honest, their inner fibre is clean. And if we add the discipline and inner strength of athletes, we have created here a table of values that cannot be disputed. And I want to see several young people involved in politics!
On the eve of important European elections what is your message to the Romanian and European youth?
I will answer very briefly: young people need to know the programs of the parties running for the European Parliament and to vote! Young people have the right and must assume their participation in all democratic exercises. The European Parliament must be legitimized by as many citizens as possible. The more the number of voters will be high, the more the relationship of European citizens with their representatives will be narrow and clear. And this message to youth must be complemented by a message to parties and politicians: include young people in your programs! And work with them, they are honest, brave and creative!
