Sorin Cîmpeanu

Cîmpeanu was appointed Minister of National Education in the Fourth Ponta Cabinet, on 17 December 2014. During his first mandate, Cîmpeanu initiated the controversial Emergency Ordinance that amnestied plagiarists, allowing doctors to give up the title,[6] given that then Prime Minister, Victor Ponta, was accused of plagiarizing his doctoral thesis. Subsequently, lawmakers voted against this ordinance.

Cîmpeanu was not part of a political party at that time; he was proposed and supported on the education portfolio in the Ponta government by the Conservative Party leader Daniel Constantin. He is the suspended rector of the University of Agronomy in Bucharest and suspended president of the National Council of Rectors.

This time as a member of the National Liberal Party (PNL),[7] Cîmpeanu was once again appointed Minister of Education on 23 December 2020, this time in the Cîțu Cabinet.[8] The reason given by then PNL president Ludovic Orban was that "Cîmpeanu is the guarantee of the implementation of the program România Educată (Educated Romania)",[7] which was first announced in 2016 by President of Romania Klaus Iohannis.[9] His appointment in the Cîțu Cabinet was criticized due to his activity in the first mandate, particularly around the legislation "that protected those found to have plagiarised their academic theses".[10] On 25 November 2021, he was subsequently appointed for the same ministerial position in the Ciucă Cabinet, the successor of the Cîțu cabinet, for a third term.[11]

Nonetheless, his second and third terms were both marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a significant impact on education. The pandemic led to nationwide school closures that had been in effect in Romania since 11 March 2020,[12] with the exception of a period between 14 September and 8 November, during which schools were open fully or to some extent in localities where the incidence rate was below 3/1,000 inhabitants.[13][14] The measure of school closures and transition to online learning was never implemented nationwide again after the reopening of schools on 8 February 2021,[15] with physical presence being considered the most important objective.[16]

In 2022, Cîmpeanu initiated several reforms, starting with the structure of the Romanian academic year, such as moving the first day of school to the first Monday of September and switching from two semesters to five so-called "modules",[17][18] later continuing with new education laws.[19] The reforms received significant criticism, resulting even in a petition demanding "the firing of Cîmpeanu and withdrawal of the education laws", considering the laws "a new impulse given [to] [...] the industry of meditations and the industry of plagiarism".[20] Cîmpeanu himself had been accused of plagiarism.[21] Cîmpeanu responded to the accusations by arguing they are aimed at blocking the education laws from being adopted.[22] On 29 September 2022, he resigned as Minister of Education,[23] under public pressure following allegations that he had plagiarized a university course he had taught.[24]

After his appointment, Cîmpeanu assured investors and creditors that "Romania is and must remain a factor of stability". He also told Romanians that as balanced an economy as possible is needed in order to preserve trust in the country.[25]

He also indicated that the interim government would continue to work on the country's 2016 budget plans, although it is not empowered to pass new laws.[26]