Outgoing Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has announced his resignation amid mounting pressure from far-right parliamentary parties seeking his impeachment, Al Jazeera reports.
The resignation comes after a contentious election marred by allegations of Russian interference and the surprising emergence of a far-right candidate.
Iohannis, a centrist politician, made the announcement in an emotional address on Monday:
“To spare Romania from this crisis, I am resigning as president of Romania.”
He confirmed his departure date as February 12.
The political turmoil stems from the annulment of a presidential election by the top court two months ago. The court cited alleged Russian meddling as the reason for the cancellation. This decision followed a shock first-round victory by Calin Georgescu, a relatively unknown candidate representing the far-right.
In the aftermath of the election cancellation, tens of thousands of Romanians, mobilized by the far-right, protested in the streets demanding Iohannis’ resignation and denouncing the annulled vote.
While the top court had ruled that Iohannis, whose second and final term ended on December 21, would remain in office until a successor was elected in the re-run elections scheduled for May 4 and May 18, the pressure from the opposition intensified.
In January, three far-right opposition parties, controlling approximately 35 percent of the parliament, initiated impeachment proceedings against Iohannis. Monday also saw Members of Parliament launch a formal procedure to suspend Iohannis, marking the third attempt by the opposition to initiate such a process.
The drive to remove Iohannis was spearheaded by several opposition parties, including the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), the nationalist SOS party, and the Party of Young People. Some members of the reformist Save Romania Union party and even lawmakers from the governing coalition were also expected to support the impeachment motion.
With Iohannis’s departure, Senate President and liberal leader, Ilie Bolojan, is expected to assume the role of acting president. The political landscape in Romania remains uncertain as the nation prepares for the re-run presidential elections in May.
