Vlad Vasile Voiculescu (born 6 September 1983) is a Romanian politician and former Romanian Minister of Health in the Cîțu Cabinet (affiliated with the Freedom, Unity and Solidarity Party, PLUS) whose term lasted from 23 December 2020 until he was revoked on 14 April 2021 by PNL Prime Minister Florin Cîțu.[1] He formerly served in the same position in the Cioloș Cabinet between May 2016 and January 2017.[2]

Vlad Vasile Voiculescu
Voiculescu in 2024
Minister of Health
In office
23 December 2020 – 14 April 2021
Prime MinisterFlorin Cîțu
Preceded byNelu Tătaru
Succeeded byFlorin Cîțu (acting)
In office
20 May 2016 – 4 January 2017
Prime MinisterDacian Cioloș
Preceded byPatriciu Achimaș-Cadariu [ro]
Succeeded byFlorian-Dorel Bodog [ro]
Personal details
Born (1983-09-06) 6 September 1983 (age 41)
Brănești, Dâmbovița County, Romania
Political partyPLUS (2018–2021)
USR (2021–present)

Career

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He was born in Brănești, Dâmbovița County. Voiculescu is known as one of the founders of Magicamp, along with the journalist Melania Medeleanu [ro].[3] Magicamp is a non-profit organisation that offers supportive therapies and financial aid to children diagnosed with cancer and their families.[4] The donations consisted of materials whose value is over 3 million euros.[5]

Voiculescu started the "Rețeaua Citostaticelor" (Cytostatics Network),[6] an unofficial mechanism of supplying medications for patients diagnosed with cancer in Romania through parallel proceedings with official methods that are bureaucratic.[7] Those organizations have been the subject of the Rețeaua (Network) documentary, by Claudiu Mitcu.[8]

Politics

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In 2018, Voiculescu co-founded the Mișcarea România Împreună ("Romania Together Movement") organization, a political movement founded by the ex-premier Dacian Cioloș. Vlad Voiculescu announced his candidacy in the subsequent 2020 elections for the city hall of Bucharest.[9]

In December 2018, he became a member of the Freedom, Unity and Solidarity Party (PLUS). On 1 August 2019 he was designated by PLUS as a candidate for the Bucharest City Hall.[10] On 28 February 2020 he withdrew his candidacy.[11]

In December 2020, he was nominated to be part of the Cîțu Government as the Minister of Health.[12] However, after a meeting between the Prime Minister of Romania Florin Cîțu and the Deputy Prime Minister of Romania Dan Barna, Voiculescu was removed from his position as Health Minister in 14 April 2021 due to all the scandals surrounding his mandate. Andreea Moldovan, the main Secretary of State of the Health Ministry, who often advised Voiculescu on measures was also removed.[1] Voiculescu was shortly thereafter replaced by Florin Cîțu, the then-incumbent PM, as interim Health Minister.[13]

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Voiculescu and his handling of the 2016 diluted disinfectants scandal are one of the main focuses of the 2019 documentary Collective.[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b Dinu, Clarice (14 April 2021). "Oficial: Vlad Voiculescu, demis de la Ministerul Sănătății. Pleacă și Andreea Moldovan / Interimar la Sănătate - Dan Barna. UPDATE". HotNews (in Romanian).
  2. ^ "Founder of "cytostatic network" becomes Romania's Health Minister". Romania Insider. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 2020-03-08.
  3. ^ "Organizatori » MagiCAMP". MagiCAMP (in Romanian). Retrieved 2020-03-08.
  4. ^ "MagiCAMP at RUF".
  5. ^ Recorder.ro. "Am vrut să aflăm ce se întâmplă cu banii strânși în urma celei mai ample campanii de donații din România". Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  6. ^ Vlad Mixich (5 November 2012). "Cum am devenit membru in Reteaua Citostaticelor". Retrieved 2018-12-10.
  7. ^ "Anonimul care a creat "Reţeaua citostaticelor" a devenit ministrul Sănătăţii. Totul despre Vlad Voiculescu". adevarul.ro. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 2020-03-08.
  8. ^ "Reteaua, documentarul bazat pe o investigatie HotNews.ro, a fost difuzat joi de HBO. Primul instinct al autoritatilor a fost sa manipuleze si sa decredibilizeze - Esential - HotNews.ro". www.hotnews.ro (in Romanian). 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2020-03-08.
  9. ^ Maria Tufan (30 March 2018). "Vlad Voiculescu a anunțat că va candida la Primăria Capitalei în 2020. Cioloș a lansat azi și noul partid". Retrieved 2018-12-10.
  10. ^ C.D. (August 2019). "Vlad Voiculescu, desemnat de PLUS candidat la Primăria București". Retrieved 2020-02-28.
  11. ^ "Vlad Voiculescu a anunțat că își retrage candidatura pentru Primăria Capitalei, după ce PNL a anunțat că îl susține pe Nicușor Dan pentru funcția de primar general. El a adăugat însă că va candida pe lista consilierilor generali". 28 February 2020. Retrieved 2020-02-28.
  12. ^ "Va fi Vlad Voiculescu ministrul de care avem nevoie în pandemie? Ce a reușit în primul mandat omul de la care avem așteptări uriașe în 2021 - Sanatate - HotNews.ro". www.hotnews.ro (in Romanian). 2020-12-22. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
  13. ^ "Florin Cîțu preia interimatul la Ministerul Sănătății. Klaus Iohannis a semnat decretul". Timiș Online (in Romanian). 14 April 2021.
  14. ^ Weissberg, Jay (6 September 2019). "Venice Film Review: 'Collective'". Variety. Retrieved 2 March 2020.