Romania president resigns amid far-right pressure – DW – 02/10/2025

Romania’s centrist president, Klaus Iohannis, announced his resignation in an emotional address Monday, saying he was stepping down to “spare” his country from the crisis that followed a canceled presidential vote last year. 

A second runoff vote for the presidential race was due December, but were called off amid claims of Russian meddling following a first-round victory by far-right candidate Calin Georgescu.

The first round of the presidential vote that was held on November 24 propelled pro-Russian ultranationalist Georgescu from relative obscurity to the top of the race.

But he still only won 22.9% of the vote, which was far short of the majority needed to win outright. 

Georgescu was meant to compete in a runoff vote on December 8. But Romania’s top court made an unprecedented move two days before the runoff to cancel the presidential race after declassified Romanian intelligence reports indicated Russian interference. 

Georgescu — who has previously praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as “a man who loves his country” and called Ukraine “an invented state” — called Iohannis’s resignation a “victory for the people of Romania.”

He wrote on X that “Now, it’s time to return to ‘rule of law’ – resume 2nd round of elections!” 

What happens now?

Iohannis’s tenure as president — he has already served a maximum of two five-year terms — was extended after the annulled vote. He said he would remain in office until a successor was chosen in a fresh first round of presidential elections set for May 4, 2025.

The leader of Romania’s senate, Ilie Bolojan, is expected to take over presidential duties, which cover military and foreign policies, until a successor is elected. 

Romanian president under pressure from populist parties

Iohannis, a pro-EU politician, has been under pressure by far-right parties ever since the failed vote in December. 

Last month, more than 10,000 Romanians took part in protests called by the main opposition far-right party. They marched on the streets of Bucharest, shouting slogans against Iohannis.

Georgescu, who won the first, annulled, vote, said that throwing out the results had amounted to a “formalized coup d’etat.”

Several opposition parties, including the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), the nationalist S.O.S party and the Party of Young People, had sought Iohannis’ ouster through an impeachment motion. 

Some lawmakers from the governing coalition were also expected to vote in favor of suspending the president, whose popularity has declined given people’s discontent over soaring prices and inflation.

Iohannis says ouster will have long-lasting consequences 

“In a few days, the Romanian Parliament will vote on my suspension and Romania will go into crisis… This whole endeavor will have effects internally and unfortunately also externally,” Iohannis said.

Iohannis had held office since 2014 and said in his address that he “never violated the Constitution,” adding that the consequences of his ouster would be highly negative for his country.

Romania, an EU member since 2007, and a NATO member since 2004, has been a strong supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russian forces. The country is home to NATO’s most important anti-missile defense facility in the region.

Edited by: Wesley Rahn