Dorin Recean (born 17 March 1974) is a Moldovan economist and politician serving as Prime Minister of Moldova since February 2023. Since 2022 he has also served as Presidential Advisor on Security, and Secretary General of Moldova's Supreme Security Council. He previously served as Interior Minister of Moldova from July 2012 to February 2015. He has extensive experience in the private sector and in the IT industry with a specialisation in data, including big data, and information analysis. He also worked in development institutions and was previously a lecturer at several universities.

He is considered to be 'pro-Western' and a strong supporter of the accession of Moldova to the European Union. He has opposed and criticised Russia's invasion of Ukraine and supported subsequent steps to reduce Moldova's economic dependence on Russia, expressing his sympathy and support for Ukraine in the conflict. He has argued for an end to Moldova's military neutrality and increasing military co-operation with NATO.

Early life and education
Recean was born in Dondușeni in the Soviet Union on 17 March 1974. In 1996, he graduated from the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova with a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. He graduated with a Master's degree in business administration from Newport International University's Belgium branch in 2000.

Career

Academia 
Recean started his career as a lecturer in 1995 at his alma mater, the Academy of Economic Studies, and continued to teach there until 2007. From 2002 to 2010 he also worked in different firms in various capacities. He also taught at the Chișinău-based Newport International University from 2000 to July 2012.

Politics 
In January 2010, Recean was appointed Deputy Minister of Information and Communication Technology, where he was responsible for implementing new secure documents, including the biometric passport, as part of the visa-liberalization action plan. He has been a member of the Governmental Task Force on Visa-liberalization with the EU.

In July 2012, he was appointed Interior Minister to the Cabinet, led by Vlad Filat, replacing Alexei Roibu. On 31 May 2013, Recean was reappointed Interior Minister to the Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Iurie Leancă.

Immediately after the November 2014 elections, Recean announced his retirement from politics and that he would pursue a private business career in Fintech. He promoted IT technologies in the field of mobile remittances and payments with the aim of broadening the access of migrant workers and their relatives to secure and affordable money transfers and payments.

On 7 February 2022 he was appointed by President Maia Sandu as Presidential Adviser on Security Issues and Secretary General of the Supreme Security Council.

On 26 September Recean said that "Moldova can no longer rely exclusively on foreign policy instruments, one of which is its neutral status, to ensure state stability," adding that "Moldova must start work on increasing its defence potential... The authorities need to obtain the conscious support of citizens who should understand it is critical to the state's survival", calling for funds to be allocated to the task.

Premiership 

In February 2023, Recean was appointed Prime Minister of Moldova by President Maia Sandu, following the resignation of prime minister Natalia Gavrilița. He was sworn in on 16 February 2023. Since being sworn in, Recean has continued to pursue Moldova's accession into the European Union.

On 1 March at a meeting in Bucharest with the Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă and President Klaus Iohannis, both countries pledged to boost economic ties following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Romania reiterated its support for Moldova's accession to the European Union.

On 14 March, Recean announced that Moldova had reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund on a new $94 million tranche under the existing lending program. This is part of a larger $800 million fund agreed with the Fund in 2022 to help Moldova deal with the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

On 24 March, Moldova and the European Free Trade Association announced that it had reached agreement on a comprehensive free trade agreement after two years of negotiations, allowing Moldova to export goods without paying customs tariffs to the other members. The agreement was signed in Vaduz, the capital of Liechstenstein. At a summit in Switzerland, Recean met with representatives of Liechstenstein, Switzerland, Iceland, and from Google.

On April 6, he thanked Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki for expressing his government's support for an accelerated pathway for Moldova's accession to the European Union.

On 18 May, Recean announced at a security conference in Bucharest that Moldova was no longer using Russian gas or electricity, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, stating that "Moldova no longer consumes Russian gas, it is integrated in the European energy network both technically and commercially."

On 26 June, he commented that the aborted Wagner mutiny in Russia "is a clear indication of the weakness of the Russian leadership and the Russian management of the army" and that "Russia is much weaker than people perceived it to be". He also stated in regards to the Transnistrian conflict that "First of all Moldova will solve this Transdniestria issue peacefully," Recean said. "This is fundamental. The first thing is to demilitarise the region where Russian troops are stationed illegally. This will most likely happen when the Russian are pushed out of Ukraine."

Political views 
Recean supports Moldovan membership of the EU and closer ties with the West. He declared after his prime minister nomination: "The new government will have three priorities: Order and discipline, a new life and economy, and peace and stability. The new government will continue the implementation of Moldova's strategic course – integration into the European Union."

Personal life
Recean is married and has two children. He speaks English, French, and Russian in addition to his native Romanian.

See also
List of international prime ministerial trips made by Dorin Recean

References

1974 births
Living people
Academic staff of the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova
Moldovan Ministers of Internal Affairs
People from Dondușeni District
Prime Ministers of Moldova