Interior minister named Romania’s interim premier amid political turmoil

ATHENS

Romania’s Interior Minister Catallin Predoiu was named interim prime minister on Tuesday, as the country grapples with political instability following the resignation of Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.

Ciolacu stepped down after far-right candidate George Simion secured a decisive victory in Sunday’s presidential election.

The outcome triggered Ciolacu’s Social Democratic Party to withdraw from the ruling coalition, which he said had lost legitimacy.

Predoiu will serve as caretaker prime minister until a new administration is formed, according to the Romanian president’s office.

Simion, 38, received more than 40.9% of the vote and is known for his ultranationalist and Eurosceptic positions.

He will face Nicusor Dan, the centrist mayor of Bucharest, who finished second with nearly 21%, in a runoff scheduled for May 18.

Romania originally held a first round of presidential elections on Nov. 24, which was won by far-right Calin Georgescu.

However, Romania's Constitutional Court annulled the results and the planned runoff vote, saying the election process was manipulated in favor of Georgescu by a Russia-backed campaign.