Romanian President Klaus Iohannis Announces Resignation.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has announced that he will step down on February 12, citing escalating political tensions and the ongoing conflict over his tenure. His resignation follows parliamentary opposition and an impeachment process initiated by the Youth Party.

Iohannis stated, the Romanian parliament has launched a procedure to remove me from presidentship,” “This action is unjustified and will push Romania into turmoil, as a referendum on my resignation will soon begin. To prevent this crisis, I have decided to resign.”

Political Divide Over Impeachment

The decision to impeach Iohannis stems from opposition claims that his presidency had extended beyond its legal term, despite the Constitutional Court confirming his right to remain in office until a new leader is elected. His term officially ended on December 21, 2024, yet ongoing electoral disputes delayed the transition.

The opposition, including the Alliance for Romanian Unity, S.O.S. Romania, the Youth Party, and the Union for Romania’s Salvation, strongly supported his resignation. However, pro-European parties from the ruling coalition, namely the Social Democrats, National Liberals (NLP), and the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, opposed the move.

With Iohannis stepping down, Senate Speaker Ilie Bolozhan (NLP) is set to assume the role of acting president until a new leader is elected.

Controversial Presidential Election and Its Fallout

The turmoil surrounding Iohannis’ resignation is deeply tied to the 2024 Romanian presidential elections. The first round of voting, held on November 24, 2024, saw independent candidate Calin Georgescu emerge as the frontrunner with 22.94% of the vote, while Elena Lasconi of the center-right Union for Romania’s Salvation followed with 19.18%. The two candidates were set to compete in a runoff on December 8.

However, just days before the decisive vote, the Constitutional Court annulled the election results, citing serious irregularities. Intelligence agencies disclosed that Georgescu had allegedly illegally financed his campaign, and that Romania had been subjected to cyberattacks and foreign interference linked to Russia.

Both Georgescu and Lasconi condemned the court’s decision, demanding the elections proceed as scheduled. Instead, the government has now set new election dates for May 4 and 18, 2025.