Nadia the politician?

Nadia Comaneci is being groomed for a position in the Romanian Parliament if she wants it, Agence France-Presse reported this week.

Comaneci, best known for scoring the first perfect 10 in Olympic history (followed at close range by six more), has little experience in politics, unless you count a rumored romance with Nicu Ceausescu, son of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, during the 1980s.

Romania’s governing National Liberal Party (PNL) is hoping to persuade Comaneci to be its candidate for the country’s first European Parliamentary elections on November 25.

The list must be lodged by September 26 at the latest. And the lure of the Comaneci name is one which all parties are keen to harnass.

Comaneci’s name is being cited to head the PNL list, in place of former Minister of Foreign Affairs Mihai Razvan Ungureanu.

The US-based former gymnastics star is set to meet Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu to discuss the offer.

“I would be delighted if she (Comaneci) were to accept but at present there has been no discussions,” said PNL vice-president Norica Nicolai.

“We’ll know more (this week) … when our delegation meets to discuss strategy, the list and campaign team,” he said.

Comaneci wouldn’t be first Romanian affiliated with gymnastics to accept a government position. After the 2004 Olympics, Octavian Belu and Mariana Bitang, the volatile, outrageously successful Romanian national team coaches accepted positions as sports advisors to Romanian President Traian Basescu.