Romania’s outgoing centrist president, Klaus Iohannis, has resigned amidst the threat of impeachment by hard-right parliamentary parties. The European Union and NATO member state, bordering Ukraine, faced institutional turmoil after a little-known far-right NATO critic, Calin Georgescu, won the initial round of a presidential election last year. Following allegations of Russian interference, which Moscow denied, Romania’s top court invalidated the entire election.
The election is now set to be re-run on May 4 and May 18. Despite his second term expiring on December 21, Iohannis was expected to remain in office until his successor was elected. However, in January, three far-right opposition parties, holding about 35% of parliamentary seats, initiated a motion to impeach Iohannis.
Given Iohannis's low popularity and the potential support from some lawmakers of mainstream pro-European parties, the hard-right's impeachment bid was likely to succeed. In response, Iohannis chose to resign to prevent Romania from facing a needless crisis. Senate speaker Ilie Bolojan, from the ruling coalition's Liberal Party, will serve as interim president with limited powers until the election.
The three hard-right factions, whose influence grew after Georgescu's unexpected victory, utilized their campaign against Iohannis to organize protests and control the political narrative in Romania.
