Dacian Cioloș facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dacian Cioloș MEP
Cioloș in 2019
Prime Minister of Romania
In office 17 November 2015 – 4 January 2017
President	Klaus Iohannis
Preceded by	Sorin Cîmpeanu (Acting)
Succeeded by	Sorin Grindeanu
President of USR
In office 1 October 2021 – 7 February 2022
Preceded by	Dan Barna (USR) Himself (PLUS)
Succeeded by	Cătălin Drulă (Acting)
Member of the European Parliament for Romania
In office 2 July 2019 – 15 July 2024
Leader of Renew Europe
In office 2 July 2019 – 19 October 2021
Preceded by	Guy Verhofstadt (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe)
Succeeded by	Stéphane Séjourné
President of PLUS
In office 26 January 2019 – 1 October 2021
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Himself (party merged with USR)
European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development
In office 9 February 2010 – 1 November 2014
President	José Manuel Barroso
Preceded by	Mariann Fischer Boel
Succeeded by	Phil Hogan
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
In office 5 August 2007 – 22 December 2008
Prime Minister	Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
Preceded by	Decebal Traian Remeș
Succeeded by	Ilie Sârbu
Personal details
Born	(1969-07-27) 27 July 1969 (age 55) Zalău, Romania
Political party	Independent (before 2018) PLUS (2018–2021) USR (2021–2022) REPER (2022–present)
Other political affiliations	EPP (2016–2019) ALDE (2019–present)
Spouse	Valérie Villemin ​ (m. 2000)​
Education	University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine National Graduate School of Agriculture, Rennes University of Montpellier 1

Dacian Julien Cioloș (born 27 July 1969) is a Romanian agronomist, which means he is an expert in soil and crop science. He has held several important roles in government and in the European Union.

From November 2015 to January 2017, he served as the Prime Minister of Romania. Before that, he was Romania's Agriculture Minister from 2007 to 2008.

In 2010, he became the European Commissioner for Agriculture, a big job in the European Union. He held this position until 2014. In 2015, Romania's President Klaus Iohannis chose him to be prime minister.

After the 2016 elections, his term as prime minister ended. He later founded a political party called the Freedom, Unity and Solidarity Party (PLUS). This party later joined with another, the Save Romania Union (USR). From October 2021 to February 2022, he led the USR party.

In May 2019, he was elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). He then became the leader of a new political group in the European Parliament called Renew Europe. In 2021, he was again nominated to be Prime Minister of Romania, but the Parliament did not approve his proposal. In 2022, he started a new party called REPER.

About Dacian Cioloș

Early Life and Education

Dacian Cioloș was born in Zalău, Romania. He spent much of his childhood with his grandparents in the nearby village of Pericei. This is where he became interested in farming.

After high school, he studied horticulture at the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca. He earned his degree in 1994. He also studied agricultural development in France, earning a master's degree in 1997 and a doctorate in 2006.

While studying, he was part of a youth group that focused on cultural activities. He has been a member of an agricultural research group called Groupe de Bruges since 2000.

Early Career in Agriculture and Government

From 1991 to 1996, Cioloș gained experience on organic farms in France. He also worked on rural development projects between France and Romania.

From 1997 to 1999, he worked as an agro-economist at the European Commission in Brussels. He helped prepare a program for agriculture and rural development. He also directed a local rural development program in Romania.

From 1999 to 2001, he worked for agricultural development agencies in France. He helped coordinate programs with Romania. From 2002 to 2003, he helped manage a European Commission program in Romania.

From 2005 to 2007, he was an adviser to Romania's Agriculture Minister. He also represented Romania in the Council of the European Union's Special Committee on Agriculture. In October 2007, he became Romania's Agriculture Minister. He served until December 2008.

In 2009, he returned to work for the European Commission. He also led a commission looking into public agricultural development policies in Romania.

Becoming an EU Commissioner

In October 2009, the Romanian government suggested Dacian Cioloș to be the next European Commissioner for Agriculture. This is a very important role in the European Union.

Cioloș in September 2010 as Commissioner for Agriculture

Cioloș at the October 2012 EPP Congress

In November, the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, officially nominated Cioloș. Barroso said Cioloș was "most competent" and had a "modern vision" for agriculture. Some news outlets and farming groups in Europe welcomed his appointment.

After being approved by the European Parliament in February 2010, Cioloș shared his main goals. He wanted to keep the agricultural sector strong to ensure food security. He also aimed to protect the environment and help farmers have a good quality of life. He promised to continue improving the Common Agricultural Policy, which is the EU's farming policy.

In July 2015, the new European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, named Cioloș as his special adviser on international food security.

Serving as Prime Minister

In November 2015, Romania's Prime Minister resigned after large protests. President Klaus Iohannis then appointed Dacian Cioloș as the new Prime Minister.

Cioloș proposed a government made up of experts, not just politicians. His cabinet had twenty-one members, including several women. The Romanian Parliament approved his government with a large vote.

He believes his government achieved two main things:

• Increased transparency: This meant making public information like salaries and spending available online.
• Reduced bureaucracy: This involved simplifying many official procedures.

Before the 2016 elections, Cioloș encouraged people to support the parties that wanted him to continue as prime minister. However, those parties lost the election. The next month, Sorin Grindeanu became the new Prime Minister.

Return to Politics

Cioloș speaking in the European Parliament in 2020

In March 2018, Cioloș announced he was creating a new political party called the Romania Together Movement. Later, in December 2018, he launched a different party that was already registered: the Freedom, Unity and Solidarity Party (PLUS).

In January 2019, Cioloș was elected president of the PLUS party. The next month, PLUS formed an alliance with another party, the Save Romania Union (USR). This alliance was called USR-PLUS.

In May 2019, he was elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). He then became the leader of the new Renew Europe political group in the European Parliament. He left this leadership role in late 2021 to focus on politics in Romania.

In October 2021, the USR and PLUS parties officially merged, and Cioloș was elected the first president of the new unified party. Later that month, he was again nominated by President Iohannis to be Prime Minister. However, his proposed government was not approved by the Parliament.

In February 2022, Cioloș resigned as the USR party president. In May, he left the USR party completely and started a new party called Renewing Romania's European Project (REPER). In the 2024 European Parliament election, his party did not get enough votes, and Cioloș lost his seat. He then announced he would no longer run for elected office.

Personal Life

In 2000, Dacian Cioloș married Valérie Villemin, a French agriculture expert. They met while he was studying in France. Their wedding took place in his grandparents' village of Pericei. They do not have children.

Dacian Cioloș has a younger brother named Sorin. His father chose the name Dacian. His middle name, Julien, comes from a character in a book his mother read. Cioloș is a member of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

See also

• Cioloș Cabinet