Romanian President Klaus Iohannis Steps Down Amid Crisis Over Scrapped Election

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said he is resigning from his position amid an effort by the opposition to have him impeached after he stayed in power following the Constitutional Court's annulment of the presidential election in which right-wing, pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu unexpectedly won the first round.

Iohannis said on February 10 that he was stepping down and will leave office on February 12.

Ovidiu Voicu, executive director of the Center for Public Innovation, told RFE/RL's Romanian Service that efforts to impeach Iohannis would have had no chance of getting the required votes in parliament anyway.

However, the ruling coalition "pushed" Iohannis to resign so that they could present it as a gesture to "calm the country down and bring peace and stability."

Senate leader Ilie Bolojan will succeed Iohannis on an interim basis once lawmakers approve his resignation.

The new presidential vote is planned for May 4, with a possible run-off vote scheduled for May 18.

The Constitutional Court had asked Iohannis to stay on after his term ended in mid-December because of the annulment.

The Constitutional Court canceled the election two days before the second round was to be held between Georgescu and pro-European centrist candidate Elena Lasconi.

It cited state documents that allegedly showed Georgescu, who ran as an independent candidate, had benefitted from an unfair social media campaign likely orchestrated by Russia. Moscow denies interfering in the election.

"It only deepens the political chaos that is in the country at the moment and disrupts our image internationally," one Bucharest resident told RFE/RL.

"It may be a gesture of the last common sense on his part. But it’s not like it solves the problem."