Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has announced his resignation, stepping down from office amid political turmoil and pressure from the opposition.
The decision follows attempts by the Romanian opposition to remove him after the Constitutional Court annulled the first round of presidential elections. That round had been won by far-right, pro-Russian candidate Călin Georgescu.
Iohannis confirmed on February 10 that he would leave office in two days.
The Constitutional Court had previously ruled that Iohannis should remain in office beyond his official term, which ended in mid-December, due to the election annulment. The court’s decision came just two days before the scheduled runoff between Georgescu and pro-European candidate Elena Lasconi.
According to the court, official state documents suggested that Georgescu, who ran as an independent, had benefited from an unfair social media campaign, allegedly orchestrated by Russia. Moscow has denied any interference in Romania’s elections.
New presidential elections are scheduled for May 4, with a potential runoff on May 18 if no candidate secures an outright majority.
