Daniel Ciugureanu

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Daniel Ciugureanu

| image = Dr. Daniel Ciugureanu.jpg

| imagesize = 220px

| office = Prime Minister of the Moldavian Democratic Republic

| term_start = 16 January 1918

| term_end = 8 April 1918

| predecessor = Pantelimon Erhan

| successor = Petru Cazacu

| president = Ion Inculeț

| office1 = Minister of State for Bessarabia

| primeminister1 = Alexandru Marghiloman

| term_start1 = 9 April 1918

| term_end1 = 23 October 1918

| predecessor1 =

| successor1 =

| primeminister2 = Constantin Coandă

| term_start2 = 24 October 1918

| term_end2 = 28 November 1918

| predecessor2 =

| successor2 =

| primeminister3 = Ion I. C. Brătianu

| term_start3 = 29 November 1918

| term_end3 = 26 September 1919

| predecessor3 =

| successor3 =

| primeminister4 = Artur Văitoianu

| term_start4 = 27 September 1919

| term_end4 = 30 November 1919

| predecessor4 =

| successor4 =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1885|12|9}}

| birth_place = Șirăuți, Bessarabia Governorate

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1950|5|19|1885|12|9}}

| death_place = Sighet Prison, Romanian People's Republic

| resting_place = Cernica Monastery

| party =

| alma_mater = Kyiv Imperial University of Saint Vladimir

| profession = Surgeon

| awards = Order of the Crown (Romania), Grand Cross

Order of the Star of Romania, Grand Officer
National Order of Faithful Service, Grand Officer

| footnotes =

}}

Daniel Ciugureanu ({{IPA|ro|daniˈel tʃjuɡuˈre̯anu|lang}}; 9 December 1885{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HSkzAAAAMAAJ&q=Daniel+Ciugureanu+1885|title=Istoria României: Enciclopedie|isbn=9789735691806|last1=Scorpan|first1=Constantin|year=1997|publisher=Nemira }} – 19 May 1950{{cite web|first=Bianca|last=Pădurean|url=https://m.rfi.ro/politica-121277-artizani-marea-unire-umiliti-ucisi-comunisti-daniel-ciugureanu|title=Artizani ai Marii Uniri umiliți și uciși de comuniști. Astăzi, Daniel Ciugureanu|publisher=Radio France Internationale|language=ro|date=May 19, 2020|access-date=October 27, 2021}}) was a Romanian politician from Bessarabia, deputy in Sfatul Țării from Chișinău, Prime Minister of the Moldavian Democratic Republic from {{OldStyleDate|29 January|1918|16 January}}–{{OldStyleDate|21 April|1918|8 April}}, Minister for Bessarabia in four Romanian Governments, Deputy and Senator, vice-president of the Chamber of Deputies, vice-president and President of the Senate of Kingdom of Romania.

He was born in 1885 in Șirăuți, Khotinsky Uyezd, in the Bessarabia Governorate of the Russian Empire, the son of Alexandru Ciugureanu, a priest, and his wife, Ecaterina, a teacher. After attending secondary school in Bălți and the theological seminary in Chișinău, he enrolled in 1905 at the Kyiv Imperial University of Saint Vladimir, graduating from medical school in 1912.

Ciugureanu was one of the founders and leaders of the National Moldavian Party and one of the promoters of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania. On {{OldStyleDate|6 February|1918|24 January}}, the Sfatul Țării voted unanimously to proclaim the independence of the Moldavian Democratic Republic. The Board of Directors became the Council of Ministers, and Ciugureanu was elected Prime Minister of the new republic. In fact, it was a reconfirmation of the function in the light of the fact that he was elected First Director on {{OldStyleDate|29 January|1918|16 January}}.

After the Union of Bessarabia with Romania he served as minister for Bessarabia in four Romanian governments from 9 April 1918 to 30 November 1919.

Ciugureanu was arrested on 5 May 1950 by the communist authorities of Romania. While being transported in a van, he had a stroke at Turda. According to some sources, he died at a nearby hospital the next day;{{cite web|first=Iurie|last=Colesnic|url=http://www.timpul.md/articol/in-culisele-istoriei-medic-chirurg%E2%80%A6-prim-ministru%E2%80%A6-martir-90585.html|title=În culisele Istoriei: Medic chirurg… Prim-ministru… Martir|newspaper=Timpul|language=ro|date=April 6, 2016|access-date=October 27, 2021}} according to official records of the Securitate, he died several days later at Sighet Prison. He was buried at the {{ill|Sighetu Marmației Paupers Cemetery|ro|Cimitirul Săracilor din Sighetu Marmației}}, in a common grave.

As his grave is not known, in 1993 a cross was installed at the Sighet Cemetery, while his son, Gheorghe Ciugureanu, had a cenotaph erected at the cemetery next to Cernica Monastery, near Bucharest.