Romania's outgoing centrist president Klaus Iohannis resigned on Monday to pre-empt an impeachment bid by opposition parties in parliament, with voters highly polarized and the far-right graining ground ahead of a repeat presidential election in May.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced his resignation on Monday after a procedure to impeach him was launched amid anger over the cancellation of a presidential election last year. Lawmakers on Monday launched a procedure to impeach Iohannis,

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced he will step down, effective Wednesday, to avoid the spectacle of an impeachment process launched by Bucharest’s parliament.

One Romanian political analyst says President Klaus Iohannis' decision to resign means "the populists can say they won."

Romania’s outgoing president resigned in an effort to defuse political tension after a high court decision to annul a shock election result last year extended his tenure in office.