Anca Dragu

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Anca Dragu

| honorific-suffix =

| image = Anca-paliu-dragu (cropped).jpg

| caption = Dragu in 2015

| office = President of the Senate of Romania

| term_start = 21 December 2020

| term_end = 23 November 2021

| predecessor = Robert Cazanciuc {{Small|(acting)}}

| successor = Florin Cîțu

| office1 = Member of the Senate of Romania

| constituency1 = Bucharest

| term_start1 = 21 December 2020

| term_end1 = 29 December 2023

| office2 = Minister of Public Finance

| term_start2 = 17 November 2015

| term_end2 = 4 January 2017

| primeminister2 = Dacian Cioloș

| predecessor2 = Eugen Teodorovici

| successor2 = Viorel Ștefan

| office3 = Governor of the National Bank of Moldova

| term_start3 = 22 December 2023

| term_end3 =

| predecessor3 = Octavian Armașu

| successor3 =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|5|3|df=y}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| spouse =

| party = PLUS (2018–2021)
USR (2021–present)

| alma_mater = Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies
National University of Political Studies and Public Administration

| occupation = Economist, politician

| citizenship = {{flagcountry|Romania}}
{{flagcountry|Moldova}}

}}

Anca Dana Paliu Dragu (born 3 May 1972) is a Romanian economist and politician. She was Minister of Public Finance of Romania, as well as President of the Senate of Romania from 21 December 2020 to 23 November 2021.{{cite news|url=https://www.capital.ro/cv-ul-impecabil-recomanda-un-profesionist.html|title=Povestea Ancăi Dragu, a doua femeie ministru al Finanțelor din istoria României|first=Valentin|last=Vioreanu|newspaper=Capital|date=5 March 2020|language=ro}} Dragu was the first woman in the history of the Senate to hold this position.{{cite news|url=https://romania.europalibera.org/a/anca-dragu-(usr-plus)-aleasă-preşedinte-al-senatului-al-doilea-om-în-stat/31012337.html|title=Anca Dragu (USR PLUS), aleasă președinte al Senatului, al doilea om în stat|newspaper=Radio Europa Liberă România|date=22 December 2020|language=ro}} In December 2023, she obtained Moldovan citizenship and was appointed Governor of the National Bank of Moldova.

Biography

Anca Dana Paliu Dragu was born on 3 May 1972.{{cite news|url=https://www.impact.ro/cine-este-anca-dragu-prima-femeie-care-ar-putea-conduce-senatul-romaniei-legatura-cu-dacian-ciolos-119647.html|title=Cine este Anca Dragu, prima femeie care ar putea conduce Senatul României. Legătura cu Dacian Cioloș}} She graduated from the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies in 1996. From 1999 to 2000, she studied at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., United States. She obtained an MA degree in public administration from the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration in Bucharest in 2007 and a PhD in economics from the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies in 2010.{{cite web|url=https://www.zf.ro/eveniment/ascensiune-fulminanta-anca-dragu-prima-femeie-devenit-presedinte-19811193|title=O ascensiune fulminantă: Cine este Anca Dragu, prima femeie care a devenit președinte al Senatului și al doilea om în stat|language=ro|newspaper=Ziarul Financiar|date=December 22, 2020|access-date=June 4, 2021}}

Between 1996 and 2001, Dragu was an economist for the National Bank of Romania before working for the International Monetary Fund in Bucharest. In 2013, she became an economist in the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs of the European Commission before becoming the European Investment Bank Governor for Romania as well as Minister of Public Finance of Romania in November 2015 as a technocrat,{{cite web |title=Anca Dana Dragu, new Governor for Romania |url=https://www.eib.org/en/press/news/anca-dana-dragu-new-governor-for-romania |date=25 November 2015}}{{cite web |title=Romania PM announces technocrat cabinet, requires parliament support |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-romania-government/romania-pm-announces-technocrat-cabinet-requires-parliament-support-idUSKCN0T40PE20151115/ |date=15 November 2015}} a position she held until January 2017.

Standing for election as a politician in the December 2020 Romanian parliamentary election, Dragu was elected to the Senate of Romania for the USR PLUS party. Selected as President of the Senate in December 2020 with the backing of the alliance between USR PLUS, PNL and UDMR, she kept this post until the alliance ended and was replaced in November 2021 by a PNL candidate.{{cite web |title=Romania’s former finance minister Anca Dragu nominated for governor of Moldova’s central bank |url=https://www.romania-insider.com/romania-anca-dragu-nominated-governor-moldova-central-bank-2023 |date=22 December 2023}} In 2021, USR PLUS became the Save Romania Union (USR) party.

Dragu was sworn in as a Moldovan citizen on 21 December 2023 before she was appointed as Governor of the National Bank of Moldova next day for a term of seven years.{{cite news |title=POLITICĂ Armașu, înlocuit la BNM de o fostă ministră de Finanțe din România. Cine este Anca Dragu |url=https://newsmaker.md/ro/armasu-inlocuit-la-bnm-de-o-fosta-ministra-de-finante-din-romania-cine-este-anca-dragu/ |access-date=22 December 2023 |newspaper=NewsMaker |date=22 December 2023 |language=ro}}{{cite web |title=Moldova Appoints Romanian Ex-Finance Minister As Central Bank Chief |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/moldova-romania-central-bank-dragu/32743647.html |date=22 December 2023}} She resigned from her position as senator on the same day, ending her mandate. The Senate officially registered her resignation on 29 December.{{cite news|url=https://www.capital.ro/anca-dragu-a-demisionat-din-functia-de-senator.html|title=Anca Dragu a demisionat din funcția de senator|first=Vlad|last=Dima|newspaper=Capital|date=29 December 2023|language=ro}}