sentences:  In the Victor Ponta cabinet, he was Minister of Regional Development and Tourism in 2012.During 2007, he was Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Romania, a position he once again took up in 2013, and which he left upon becoming SRI director.Born in Zalău, he attended Babeș-Bolyai University from 1993 to 1997, graduating with a degree in Political Science.