Romania’s President Resigns Amid Political Turmoil As Far-Right Pushes For Impeachment

Romania's outgoing centrist president, Klaus Iohannis, resigned on Monday as opposition hard-right parties ramped up efforts to impeach him, plunging the country into further political uncertainty.

The European Union and NATO member state, which shares a border with Ukraine, has been in institutional chaos since last year’s controversial presidential election. In a shocking turn, little-known far-right NATO critic Călin Georgescu won the first round, triggering accusations of Russian interference—claims that Moscow has denied.

Romania’s top court ultimately annulled the election, citing irregularities, and scheduled a re-run for May 4 and May 18. Until a new president was elected, the court had ruled that Iohannis, whose second and final term ended on December 21, would remain in office.

However, in January, three far-right opposition parties controlling around 35% of parliamentary seats filed an impeachment motion against Iohannis. With his popularity at an all-time low, analysts warned that lawmakers from mainstream pro-European parties might join the effort, giving the hard-right the majority needed to remove him.

Anticipating the political fallout, Iohannis chose to step down voluntarily.

“This request will have consequences both domestically and internationally,” he told reporters. “To spare Romania this unnecessary and harmful crisis, I am resigning from the president’s office.”

Senate Speaker Ilie Bolojan, leader of the Liberal Party and a member of the ruling coalition, will assume the role of interim president with limited powers until the election.

Meanwhile, the three far-right parties have capitalized on Iohannis’s resignation, using their campaign against him to mobilize protests and dominate Romania’s political agenda. With their influence growing after Georgescu’s surprise win, the upcoming election is shaping up to be a fierce battle for the country’s future.