Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, Environment Minister Mircea Fechet and Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja top the September “Minister Visibility Barometer”, an analysis conducted by Klarmedia and News.ro. The study is based on media monitoring and source analysis of print and online media. An important change compared to the previous month concerned Interior Minister Cătălin Predoiu, who climbed from 17th to 8th place. The Minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila, also saw a significant decline in visibility: from 2nd place in August, he dropped to 10th place in September.
Top 3 in the “Barometer of Ministers’ Visibility”
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu was still in first place in September, being the leader in public visibility and accumulating a total of 35,926 mentions in the written and online press. His highest level of visibility came from his messages to pensioners on the recalculation of pensions. In addition, the Prime Minister also made a number of proposals to increase the pension tax threshold in September. Moreover, the amount of media mentions has also increased following the discussions on the appointment of Roxana Mînzatu as European Commissioner, a topic of interest.
Environment Minister Mircea Fechet has made a spectacular rise to the top of the visibility charts, taking second place in September. Previously, in the August “Barometer of Ministers’ Visibility”, he ranked eighth. His increased visibility came as a result of the intense discussions on the floods that affected areas along the Danube, as well as assessments on the implementation of the Guarantee-Return System. The increased visibility seems to reflect his concern about pressing environmental issues, but also underlines the need for preventive measures for extreme weather events and the media attention in this direction.
Third place went to Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja, who has climbed four places since August. His increased visibility is due to statements on gas stocks for the winter and measures taken to stabilize gas and energy prices. Burduja has been involved in the signing of several contracts for the installation of photovoltaic panels locally, a measure considered important for the country’s energy independence. These actions have attracted media and public attention, reflecting the government’s efforts to ensure energy stability.
Other ministers enjoying visibility in September
Other ministers enjoying visibility in SeptemberThe Minister of Finance, Marcel Boloș, ranked fourth in September’s “Barometer of Ministers’ Visibility”, continuing an upward trend that began in early summer. His rise in visibility is linked to discussions on tax breaks for individuals or firms that pay their debts by November 25, as well as concerns about the budget deficit. In a recent statement, Boloș emphasized the risk of not being able to fully collect the revenue anticipated in the annual budget. This uncertainty highlights the current economic challenges and the importance of measures to stabilize the budget.
Boloș was followed in the top list by Education Minister Ligia Deca, Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu and Labor Minister Simona Bucura-Oprescu. Interior Minister Cătălin Predoiu made a rapid rise to eighth place in September, up from 17th the previous month. His activities included Ministry of Interior interventions in the flood-hit counties of Vaslui and Galați, and his swift reaction after the incident in Parliament, when a person tried to provoke a dangerous situation. Predoiu drew attention to the difficulty of fighting organized crime groups and reminded the public of the concrete actions he is coordinating in this regard.
Among the ministers with a visibility between 1,000 and 2,000 mentions in September there were Health Minister Alexandru Rafila, followed by Adrian Câciu (European Funds), Angel Tîlvăr (Defense), Luminița Odobescu (Foreign Affairs), Raluca Turcan (Culture) and Florin Barbu (Agriculture). Four ministers registered less than 1,000 mentions in the media, including Adrian Veștea (Development), Bogdan Ivan (Digitization), Marian Neacșu (Deputy Prime Minister) and Natalia Intotero (Family).
