Klaus Iohannis: I will remain in office until a new president of Romania is elected
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced on Friday during a press statement at Cotroceni Palace that he will remain in office until a new president is elected. In the meantime, a new Parliament will be formed and a new Government will be appointed. Iohannis emphasized that Romania is a “stable, safe, and solid country,” following the Constitutional Court's decision to annul the recent presidential elections.
Speaking from Cotroceni Palace, Iohannis aimed to convey a message to investors, as well as to the European Union and NATO, asserting that “Romania is not in difficulty.”
The president also mentioned that after the validation of last week’s general elections, he will engage in negotiations with parliamentary parties to form a new government, which will subsequently set the dates for the upcoming presidential elections. Iohannis acknowledged that Romania is facing an “unprecedented” situation, brought about by intelligence reports indicating that “a candidate” had received "illegal, foreign" support. While he did not explicitly name Russia or the candidate who won the first round of the presidential election through an aggressive social media campaign, particularly on TikTok, the implications were clear.
The Constitutional Court has not yet released the reasoning behind its decision. Meanwhile, the Central Electoral Bureau has halted voting for the second round of the presidential election for the diaspora, which was set to begin today.
Elena Lasconi, the USR leader who qualified for the runoff, will be running again, as announced by her party. It remains unclear what Călin Georgescu's intentions are or whether he will submit a new candidacy.
