Marian Sârbu

[1] In 1994, Sârbu, by then a member of the Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR, which became the PSD in 2001), joined its executive bureau, to which he belonged until 1996 and from 2000 to 2004.

At the 1996 election, he entered the Chamber of Deputies; while his party was in opposition for the next four years, he headed its department of political science.

[2] As minister, Sârbu was criticised for the close links he maintained to the trade unions, for instance being one of the architects of a "non-aggression pact" between the PSD and CNSLR-Frăţia.

[2] He resumed ministerial office in December 2008, his first act being to change the ministry's name from "Labour, Family and Equal Opportunity" to "Labour, Family and Social Protection", reflecting his priority of raising pensions,[8] as well as reducing grey market activity from 50% to 25%, eliminating charges on employers for the first year a new employee works, and increasing professional development for the unemployed.

[9] In the Boc cabinet, Sârbu had to deal with the effects of the financial crisis, warning in March 2009 that unemployment could reach 800,000[10] by year's end and promising the authorities would be able to pay unemployment benefits and would give special attention to pensioners and low-income workers,[11] in spite of a budget deficit.