Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis has stepped down ahead of a re-run of a presidential election that was cancelled last year due to allegations of Russian state meddling. The outgoing president, a pro-EU liberal, had initially planned to stay in office until May but faced intense pressure from far-right politicians and their supporters.
Last month, tens of thousands of Romanians took to the streets in protest against the election’s cancellation. Opposition lawmakers then launched a motion to suspend Iohannis, which he responded to by announcing his resignation. He stated that stepping down would prevent what he described as “a damaging” and divisive referendum for the country, allowing him to spare Romania from crisis.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3w805xjg1xo