Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced his resignation on Monday following mounting pressure from populist opposition groups, two months after a top court annulled a presidential election in the European Union country.
“To spare Romania from this crisis, I am resigning as president of Romania,” he said in an emotional address on Monday, adding that he will leave office on Feb. 12.
Iohannis, 65, held the presidential role since 2014 and served the maximum of two five-year terms. But his presidency was extended in December after the Constitutional Court canceled the presidential race two days before a Dec. 8 runoff.
That came after the far-right populist Calin Georgescu unexpectedly won the first round, after which allegations emerged of Russian interference and electoral violations.
Many people inside Romania are saying Klaus Iohannis is resigning before opposition hard-right parties could kick him out.
His term ended in December, but he clung to power after Romania’s top court voided the election over suspected "Russian interference."
Now, instead of facing the heat, he is ducking out, leaving Romania scrambling for leadership as it heads into an election rerun. Crisis? What crisis? Not his problem anymore.
With no clear successor and an overturned election in the mix, Romania is in for a wild ride.
Who’s stepping up next?
