Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos explained the origin of his French middle name “Julien”.

“My mother came up with Julien because, while she was pregnant with me, she read Stendhal’s The Red and the Black and she was impressed by the character Julien Sorel,” Ciolos said in an interview at the public radio station.

He said that his father insisted for his other name Dacian. His mother would have wanted Julien to be his first name, but his father was the one who filed the papers for his birth certificate and went with Dacian as his first name.

Dacian Ciolos shared this story after some of his political opponents, including social democratic leader Liviu Dragnea, referred to him by his full name Dacian-Julien while also suggesting that the Prime Minister was representing the interests of foreign companies rather than those of Romanians.

“I guess the idea that Julien means that I’m sold to the French or whoever is more sensational,” Ciolos said.

Ciolos's first name "Dacian" comes from the Dacian language and means "from Dacia", "from the south", or a member of the local nobility.

Dacian Ciolos, who is not a party member, hopes to continue as Prime Minister after the December 11 parliamentary elections in Romania, with the support of the National Liberal Party (PNL) and Save Romania Union (USR). His main opponents are the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Liberal Democratic Alliance (ALDE).

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editor@romania-insider.com