Bucharest, Romania – Romanian President Klaus Johonis announced his resignation on Monday after the pressure from the populist opposition groups, two months after the highest court abolished the presidential election to the European Union.
“To deprive Romania from this crisis, I resign as president of Romania,” he said in an emotional address, adding that he will go to the post on February 12.
65-year-old Johanis has played a presidential role since 2014 and played a maximum of five years. But his presidency was extended in December after the Constitutional Court canceled the presidential race two days before the draft on December 8.
I mean photos / Octav Ganea / Reuters
This happened after the far -right populist Kalina struck unexpectedly won the first round when the allegations of the interference of Russia and the electoral violations were raised.
A number of opposition parties, including the right alliance for Romanian unity (AUR), the SOS Nationalist Party and the Young People Party, as well as some members of the Romanian Union Reformer (USR) sought the impact of Johanany via a, the petition was submitted to parliament. Several legislators from the ruling coalition were expected to vote.
“This is a useless endeavor because in any case I will leave the post a few months after the election of the new president,” said Johanis. “This is an unreasonable step because I never – I repeat, never violated the Constitution. And it is a harmful endeavor because … everyone loses and no one gets.”
He added that the consequences of his disruption would be “durable and very negative” for Romania, EU member since 2007, and NATO member since 2004. “None of our partners will understand why Romania rejects its president if the process for the choice of the new president has already begun,” he said.
Following the announcement of resignation, clashes between the supporters of the sturgeon and the police in front of the government building in the capital, Bucharest and tears were used for the discrepancies of the protesters.
Say photos / George Kalin / Reuters
New Dates has been set to rerun the presidential vote with the first randuled for May 4. If no Cand test obtains more than 50% of the balloot, a runoff will be held two weeks late Georgescu will be able to participate in new elections.
Strozhzh called the resignation of Johnis “a victory for the Romanian people” and called for the restoration of the presidential election from the other round.
While the temporary president has not yet been named, the President of the Senate must fill the role of acting president, which is delivered with disabilities. If they are unable, the President of the House of Deputies is next in line, the Constitution reports.
Christian Andrei, a political consultant based in Bucharest, says that Johonis, who leaves the post, is better for Romania than to go to the referendum that “help populists even more” but in any case “can say that they They won. “
“The resignation is not magically stop the great dissatisfaction … And the uncertainty against the coalition in power and the list of presidential candidates will now grow,” he said. “The gentle political status -Cho has changed.”
The departure of Iohonis, a symbolic victory for the extreme right -wing Romanian politicians, is also part of a much broader trend across the region and the entire European continent to populist parties. Even in European countries that saw the worst suffering in Nazi Germany, including Austria, Poland and Germany itself, populist, nationalist and anti -mission parties have received significant impact Over the last decade.
Some European capitals were concerned that the tendency would be supported by President Trump's high -profile victory in November and his policies against European governments during the second term.
Mr. Trump's close advisor Elon Musk conducted close attention Recently, talking about a large group of right -wing party supporters in Germany, only ahead of the Holocaust Memorial Day that “too much attention is focused on the past,” and their country should “go beyond this.”
Elena Lasconi from USR, who was supposed to face the stack in the runoff, stated that the statement that Johonis had come “too late to be honored.”
“I am glad that the USR pressure applied in the parliament woke Johonis with her nap, and we won't stop here,” she said. “We need to rebuild state institutions so that they work for citizens, not for the temporary figures sitting in power.”
She added: “We need truth, justice and a true leader who can keep us firmly oriented to the West!”
George Simion, the leader of the AUR party, wrote in a message on X: “The Exaltation finally left”, adding that “if he had not resigned, he was impeaking (Romania) and thrown away.”