Klaus Iohannis left the presidential Cotroceni Palace on Wednesday, February 12, marking the end of a decade in power. As the first president in Romania's post-communist history to resign, he leaves behind a legacy shaped by two terms in office, a second term extended due to the cancellation of last year's elections, and a political career defined by both achievements and controversies.

Klaus Iohannis officially ended his term as president of Romania on Wednesday during a brief ceremony at the Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest. He handed over the presidency to Ilie Bolojan, who will serve as interim president until the new elections in May.

“Good luck! Take care of Romania,” Iohannis told Bolojan as he exited the palace.

During the ceremony, the honor guard paid tribute to Iohannis, who left to applause from the Presidential Administration staff and other guests.

Klaus Iohannis - a brief background

Klaus Iohannis was the fourth president of Romania elected after December 1989. A member of an old family of Transylvanian Saxons, he was born on June 13, 1959, in Sibiu. Since 1989, he has been married to Carmen Iohannis, an English teacher at a prestigious high school in Sibiu.

Iohannis attended the German school in Sibiu, then the "Samuel von Brukenthal" High School in the same city. In 1978, he was admitted to the Faculty of Physics at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca. In 1983, he started teaching in several schools around Sibiu, and five years later, he taught physics at his former high school alongside his former teachers. After the anti-communist Revolution of December 1989, he chose to remain in Romania, in Sibiu, even though his parents and sister had decided to emigrate.

He began his political career in 1990 when he became a member of the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania (FDGR), which he later led for more than a decade. In 2000, he was nominated as FDGR's candidate for mayor of Sibiu and won with over 70% of the votes. He then continued to be the preferred choice of the people of Sibiu, winning four consecutive terms.

Iohannis entered national politics in 2009 when he was nominated for prime minister by a broad parliamentary coalition. Although this opportunity did not materialize, he became a well-known public figure. 

In February 2013, Klaus Iohannis decided to join the National Liberal Party (PNL) and was soon elected first vice-president. A year later, he was elected leader of the Liberals and was nominated as PNL's candidate for president of Romania.

Two terms as president

On November 16, 2014, Klaus Iohannis was elected president of Romania, winning the trust of Romanians with his vision - Romania Lucrului Bine Facut/Romania of Things Well Done - on how the country should evolve over the next decade. He won against then-prime minister Victor Ponta and replaced the highly controversial president Traian Basescu. He was sworn in before Parliament on December 21, 2014.

Five years later, he ran for a second term with the program Impreuna pentru Romania Normala/Together for a Normal Romania. On November 24, 2019, he won re-election with 66.09% of the votes, defeating prime minister Viorica Dancila. 

Presidency and political challenges

Klaus Iohannis' tenure as president saw Romania navigate significant political shifts. Initially viewed as a champion of democratic values, his leadership style faced increasing scrutiny, ending the 10 years in office with a very low confidence rate. 

During his first term as president, he positioned himself as a pro-European politician and pleaded for a sustained fight against corruption. For example, in December 2016, when the Social Democrats won the parliamentary elections, he joined the anti-PSD side, condemning the controversial policies adopted by the Social Democrat government and MPs, especially those targeting the justice system. He was perceived, at that time, as a shield for the anti-corruption and pro-democracy efforts in the country.

However, things weren't all good for Iohannis. His decisions to name four prime ministers from the Social Democratic Party and even back an alliance between PSD and the Liberals (PNL) were highly criticized by many, and even made some claim that he actually contributed to keeping PSD in power. Also, especially during his second term, the fight against corruption took a back seat.

The beginning of his second term was also dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The president declared a state of emergency and urged Romanians to get vaccinated - a local and global problematic situation he had to navigate, which affected his public perception to some extent.

However, things continued on a rather 'silent' note after the pandemic, as he communicated less and less outside official contexts - his last interview dates back to 2019, and his last press conference was in July 2022, as noted by Euronews Romania. And this lack of communication, some experts say, may have also contributed to the rise of extremists and left behind a divided and radicalized society.

His trips abroad also triggered controversies, especially related to their costs. He used private aircraft for his travels, and the presidential administration refused to disclose the expenses publicly.

On a more positive note, president Iohannis maintained Romania's pro-Western course, as demonstrated during Russia's war against Ukraine. Romania, as a member state of NATO and the European Union, has taken a clear stance in supporting Ukraine and firmly condemning the Russian aggression.

Also, during his mandates, he contributed to strengthening Romania's role and influence in the European Union and NATO, as well as developing and deepening the Strategic Partnership with the United States of America.

In November 2015, in Bucharest, he launched the Bucharest Nine (B9) Format together with Polish president Andrzej Duda - one of the most successful regional cooperation platforms, including NATO member states on the Alliance's Eastern Flank: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary.

Also during his mandate, Romania joined the Schengen area. 

Moreover, Iohannis even ran for NATO’s secretary general position in 2024, but withdrew his candidacy amid lower support.

One of his flagship projects - Romania Educata/Educated Romania - was seen as a much needed reform for the education system but failed to bring the expected changes.

Resignation

Klaus Iohannis became the first president of Romania to resign from the highest office in the state.

His presidency was supposed to end in December 2024, but his term was extended after the Constitutional Court annulled the presidential election due to allegations of foreign interference. The far-right candidate, Călin Georgescu, won the first round, but evidence suggested that Russian-backed social media campaigns had manipulated the vote.

In the aftermath, political tensions surged. Right-wing populist MPs intensified efforts to remove Klaus Iohannis from office, leading him to announce his resignation on February 12, 2025. He cited the need to "save Romania and its citizens from the crisis" as his reason for stepping down.

On the day he left the Cotroceni Palace, Klaus Iohannis made public the record of his two terms as president of Romania. It consists of two documents: the record of the 2014-2019 term and the record of the 2019-2024 term, totaling over 1,500 pages.

Following his resignation, Senate president Ilie Bolojan was appointed interim president until new elections, scheduled for May 2025.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos / George Călin)