EESC RENEWAL: Elena Calistru is the new ECO Section President

Elena Calistru, President, EESC ECO Section ©EU/EESC

<< Back to Newsletter

EU Member State responsible for her nomination as EESC member:

Romania

Nomination as representative of:

Funky Citizens (plus supporting organisations: Declic, Center for Independent Journalism, Daruieste Viata and many other local organisations across Romania)

Educational background and professional experience:

  • Qualifications – political scientist (University of Bucharest and Sapienza University, Rome) & EMBA (Maastricht School of Management)
  • Founder and leader of Funky Citizens – I have built one of Romania's most effective civil society platforms for fiscal transparency and democratic accountability, reaching 5 million citizens through innovative approaches to monitoring governments and civic engagement. My professional expertise spans fiscal policy analysis, implementation of EU funds, democratic institution-building and public education on complex budgetary issues.
  • Developer of innovative methodologies for translating macroeconomic policy and budgets into accessible public understanding, including real-time budget tracking systems and participatory governance mechanisms now being applied through training courses for civil society across multiple Romanian municipalities. My experience combines rigorous policy research with practical implementation capacity and grassroots mobilisation – essential for effective civil society engagement with EU economic governance.
  • Active in European civil society networks with a deep understanding of both Eastern European reform challenges and the EU's institutional frameworks.

Motivation for the EESC's ECO Section Presidency:

My appointment as President of the EESC's Section for Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion (ECO) for the term 2025-2028 comes at a decisive moment for European economic governance. The negotiations of the  EU budget 2028-2034 (Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) ) will determine whether the EU can deliver the competitiveness, cohesion and democratic resilience our citizens need – or whether economic frustration will continue to fuel political extremism.

Civil society has an essential perspective to contribute ­– we understand how EU policies translate into household realities, where implementation bottlenecks occur and how to build public support for necessary reforms. As ECO section president, I aim to strengthen the bridge between economic policy design and citizens' experience, ensuring that the EU institutions benefit from civil society's on-the-ground expertise.

I bring practical experience combining fiscal policy research with direct implementation through municipal partnerships, along with deep understanding of post‑communist Member States' specific challenges in EU economic integration. This presidency offers the opportunity to demonstrate civil society's value as a genuine partner in designing economic governance that delivers tangible results.

Priorities and mission:

As ECO section president, my primary focus is ensuring meaningful engagement by civil society in the MFF 2028-2034 negotiations and the economic governance frameworks that will shape Europe's future competitiveness and cohesion.

Key priorities include:
  • building effective coalitions across EESC Groups, with the European Parliament, Committee of Regions and civil society networks to maximise collective influence on economic policy decisions;
  • making economic governance accessible – translating complex fiscal policy into clear language that builds citizens' understanding and democratic legitimacy for necessary reforms;
  • strengthening multi-level governance in EU budget implementation – working with regional authorities and civil society to ensure that the Commission's proposed centralisation does not undermine subsidiarity principles and local partnerships that make EU funding effective;
  • harnessing the expertise of Central and Eastern Europe on fiscal consolidation, democratic resilience and absorption of EU funds – ensuring that the valuable experience of the post-communist Member States informs broader EU policy development and feeds into the enlargement process.
Goal:

Economic governance that strengthens rather than strains democratic institutions.

Further information: Elena Calistru