Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis has asked Prime Minister Victor Ponta to resign, as the prosecutors charged Ponta for corruption on Friday, June 5.

"In my opinion, it is an impossible situation for Romania that the Prime Minister is under prosecution. On the other hand, the worst thing for Romania right now would be a political crisis," Iohannis said, after a short talk with Ponta at the Cotroceni Palace.

"I ask Prime Minister Victor Ponta to resign," concluded Klaus Iohannis.

"I respect President Iohannis’ public stand, but I was appointed by Romania’s Parliament and only the Parliament can dismiss me," was Ponta’s reaction in a Facebook post. He added that DNA couldn’t top the Parliament and the Government.

Iohannis also had the option to suspend Ponta during the investigation. However, he decided to force Ponta to resign, as Iohannis and the National Liberal Party (PNL), which supported him in the presidential elections in 2014, have been trying to oust Ponta and name a liberal Prime Minister.

PNL also filed a no-confidence motion against the Government on Friday.

Victor Ponta’s Social Democratic Party (PSD) and their allies hold the majority in Romania’s Parliament, so the motion has little theoretical chances to pass.

Romanian President favors Liberal Government led by former Justice Minister

editor@romania-insider.com