Victor Negrescu, the Social Democratic vice president of the European Parliament from Romania, was ranked as the fourth most influential MEP in the 2026 edition of a yearly analysis published by EU Matrix.
The analysis measures the influence that members of the European Parliament have exerted over EU policy since the start of the current parliamentary term (2024–present). Specifically, influence is measured through a combination of criteria clustered into formal and informal leadership positions, actual legislative work, committee membership, political network, and voting behaviour.
Overall, the analysis was built on tens of thousands of facts and figures and is “meant to help both professionals and citizens grasp the intricacies of the politics behind EU decision-making and identify the leading figures shaping legislation for over 450 million citizens,” according to the authors.
The ranking is topped by the European People’s Party’s longtime leader, Manfred Weber. European Parliament president Roberta Metsola, also from the EPP, came up second due to her institutional role, which may extend for a third consecutive term.
S&D group chair Iratxe García Pérez came third, leveraging the strong activity of the Spanish S&D delegation and the resilience of Sánchez’s government in Madrid.
In fourth, Romania’s Victor Negrescu “accumulated influence via a combination of institutional leadership and direct steering of some of the most high-profile files this term: the EU’s budget,” according to the analysis.
The list of the top ten most influential MEPs is made complete by René Repasi (S&D), Renew group chair Valérie Hayer, Christian Ehler (EPP), Markus Ferber (EPP), Ewa Kopacz (EPP), Martin Hojsík (Renew), and Roberts Zīle (ECR).
Romanian Siegfried Muresan from the EPP and current prime minister proposal, came in 14th in the top 100 most influential MEPs. Nicolae Ștefănuță (Greens/EFA) and Dan Barna (Renew) came in 55th and 64th, respectively.
Among national delegations, large countries such as Germany, France, and Italy naturally exert more influence than smaller ones simply because they field more MEPs. “Yet the assessment also reveals which delegations punch above their weight, securing more leadership positions or legislative files than their size would normally allow,” according to the analysis.
Concerning average influence per MEP, Malta tops the table (36.8 per MEP), followed by Finland (31.4), Sweden (29.6), Croatia (29.5), and Luxembourg (29.4). Romania is in the middle of the pack, with a score of 25.2. The clearest under-performers on the average measure are Hungary (16.6, dragged down by a large non-attached and PfE contingent), Greece (19.6), Cyprus (20.9), Czechia (20.8), and Slovakia (21.2).
Romania has more influence in the two largest political families in the European Parliament. It is the fourth most influential country in the EPP and the fifth in the Social Democratic group.
(Photo source: Inquam Photos/George Calin)
Leave a Reply