Florin-Ionuț Barbu

Florin-Ionuț Barbu is a Romanian politician from the Social Democratic Party (PSD), born on September 4, 1980, in Slatina, Olt County. He was appointed Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development on June 15, 2023, in the government led by Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu . Prior to his ministerial role, Barbu served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies since 2020, representing Olt County, and chaired the Agriculture Committee from 2021 to 2023. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Craiova, a master’s degree in public management from the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Craiova . As minister, Barbu focuses on modernizing Romania’s agri-food sector, promoting investments through programs like Investalim, which allocates €1 billion in state aid for 2023–2026. He also works on improving irrigation infrastructure and supports farmers through various subsidies and development programs .