Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has announced his resignation and confirmed that his Social Democrat Party (PSD) will withdraw from the governing coalition, following a strong showing by nationalist candidate George Simion in the first round of the presidential election.
Simion, a vocal eurosceptic and leader of the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), secured 40.9% of the vote in Sunday’s election, positioning him as the frontrunner for the decisive run-off scheduled for 18 May. He will face Nicușor Dan, the liberal mayor of Bucharest, who narrowly edged out the PSD candidate.
Speaking to party members, Ciolacu acknowledged the coalition’s failure to meet its objectives and stated, “This coalition no longer holds credibility after the Romanian people have spoken. I will propose that the PSD withdraw from it.”The Social Democrats had joined a pro-European coalition government following parliamentary elections on 1 December 2024.
However, support for Simion’s AUR and two other nationalist-aligned parties had already reached a third of the electorate at that time, signaling growing public discontent.Simion’s rise has been fueled in part by widespread frustration over the annulment of last year’s presidential elections.
His platform, emphasizing national sovereignty and a reimagined European Union composed of strong, independent states, has sparked concern across European capitals and in Kyiv.Ciolacu is expected to formally tender his resignation to interim President Ilie Bolojan, who assumed the role in February amid the fallout from the annulled vote.
Bolojan will then appoint a caretaker prime minister to lead the country through the transition period.
