...is Alexandru Popa, a 24 year old dude who was Adrian Nastase's counsellor. Am curious to see what he'll be doing (if he makes it public) considering that he starts from a promising FDI level of 616 mil. euros at May end, and if we're to consider the announced 1.4 bn euros Petrom - OMV deal - he already accomplished the 2004 budgeted 2bn. FDI.
Anyways, this guy certainly is one of the most promising characters Romania's got on the public scene - a strong background (international olympic while in college, Stanford graduate afterwards), founder of JCI Romania and (now) already two years of direct work for the prime minister. You can read from here the official statements (in Romanian) made when AP was named ARIS president.
You have got to be kidding. This kid is a fucking joke. The little boy has no experience what-so-ever. Every foreign investor will be amused to see this little schmuck trying to get their money. This makes me laugh even harder at the romanian government.
Every foreign investor is interested in making money and Popa's job is not getting the money but convincing them the business environment is safe and sound. I think he definitely knows his stuff in spite of his age. Moreover, I doubt that the government did a wrong move. Fresh blood is required at the governmental level - for reasons such as better (Western) education, different perspectives and courage. Disconsidering somebody because of his age sounds like a prejudice to me.
I second Dragos' hopes for Alex!! He has all the background and knowledge necessary to do a good job. We shall all see in a few months.
Hello! Earth to Dragos: You know of course that the guy is the son of an influent Romanian businessman Mircea Popa, no 52 in Capital top 300/2003 and no. 38 in Capital top 100/2002. Word is that his father is strongly connected to the political party in power. Maybe with the elections knocking on the door, the party needed some more funds and traded that for a promotion for young Alexandru. Or maybe not. ARIS itself is just another joke of an agency but it may be used as a launch pad for future political leaders because as investments flow to Romania, ARIS can claim it�s due to their actions and in order to obtain some facilities for investments over 1 million USD, you have to get ARIS to approve your investment. Saniuta, former head of the Agency, didn�t even know what he was talking about, he was not speaking English. When asked to support a conference promoting investments in Romania by foreign companies already present on the market, he demanded to make the conference in Paris and to be paid 1 week of travel and accommodation for a 2 days conference. You imagine what kind of people he hired at �his� agency. Now he was promoted, for good performance, to the position of Minister of Internal Affairs and another guy is to step in and get the glory. I have all the respect for Alexandru and hope to get a scholarship at Stanford aswell but unfortunately I cannot afford to pay for myself if I don�t get it.
Yes, I know that he is his father's son, but IMO that doesn't make him less qualified for the job. Actually, I recently saw him delivering a speech at the Norwegian-Romanian business forum and he didn't impress me at all. Still, I tend to give him the benefits of youth, education and way of thinking when I compare him with Saniuta for example (since you brought him up), or the old communist farts from the government system claiming they're doing a great job. At least Popa may be a lesser evil, he certainly has all the means to prove it even though the system and people he is working for may be a burden or a stain to the quality of his work. In the lacking alternatives context we are in I would bet on him.