Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has tendered his resignation following a disappointing performance by his party's presidential candidate. After far-right leader George Simion captured 41% of the votes in the first round of elections, Ciolacu announced the withdrawal of his Social Democratic Party from the pro-Western coalition. This decision highlights the growing influence of far-right parties in Romania's political landscape, where a new governing majority is necessary to counterbalance them. With an upcoming run-off and an interim president in place, Romania faces pressing economic challenges, including a significant budget deficit and potential ratings downgrade.
Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has resigned, a day after a far-right opposition leader won the first round of the presidential election rerun.
The Social Democrats had formed a coalition government with the centrist Liberals and ethnic Hungarian UDMR to help keep the European Union and NATO state on a pro-Western course.
Rather than let the future president replace me, I decided to resign myself, Ciolacu said after his candidate failed to secure a spot in the presidential run-off.
This coalition is no longer legitimate, Ciolacu told reporters after a party meeting that concluded with the decision to withdraw from the government.
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