Siegfried Mureșan, at the North-West regional meeting of PNL, on February 2, 2019. PHOTO: Inquam Photos / Dan Porcutan
The publication Politico published on Tuesday the ranking of politicians with the greatest influence on Europe in 2026. In the main list, the 1st place is occupied by Donald Trump, and in a secondary hierarchy, “Top 10 people to watch in 2026”, the Romanian MEP Siegfried Mureșan (PNL), vice-president of the European People's Party (EPP), as chief negotiator of the European Parliament for the multi-annual budget of European Union.
Politico notes that, unlike previous rounds, the European Parliament did not remain in the background in the Multiannual Financial Framework negotiations, and Muresan led the offensive that forced the European Commission to modify its initial proposal.
“For decades, discussions on the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework took place behind closed doors between the Commission and national leaders in the European Council. Not this time. As chief negotiator of the European People's Party (EPP), Mureșan teamed up with social democrat Carla Tavares to get Ursula von der Leyen to accept concessions on the draft she had already published.
To achieve this victory, the Romanian MEP and vice-president of the EPP coordinated a campaign in which the Parliament used all available institutional levers, including the threat of a boycott of the talks if the European Executive did not revise key elements of the plan,” writes Politico
The publication also notes the political context in Romania, where the PNL is under pressure due to the rise of populism, while “Nicușor Dan narrowly defeated George Simion in the presidential elections”.
“Considered a moderate in the EPP, Mureșan is less willing than other colleagues to flirt with far-right alliances. In the fight for the budget, he worked with the traditional partners of the EPP in the center coalition that has been supporting the decision-making process at the European level for years,” concluded Politico.
The reaction of Siegfried Muresan
“Thank you to Politico Europe for including me in the «Top 10 people to watch in 2026» at the European level. I am glad that the reason considered by Politico for this designation is my work on the multiannual budget of the European Union post-2027, where I obtained in the negotiations additional benefits for farmers in Romania and Europe, as well as for the cohesion policy. I will continue to fight to defend the interests of the people at the European level. If my results are and noticed by the international press, all the better. Thank you all for your support,” wrote Siegfried Mureșan in a Facebook post.
In Politico's list dedicated to the people with the greatest influence on Europe in 2026, there are, in addition to Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenski, Ursula von der Leyen, Vladimir Putin and Viktor Orbán.
