Romania’s President Klaus Johannis aims to become the Head of the Senate after the December Parliamentary Elections. Although this information is not officially confirmed, political sources from both governing parties, Liberals and Socialists, confirmed the scenario.
Moreover, political preparations have been made—no current law allows the President to run for a position as a Member of the Parliament, so this had to be fixed. Hence, on Wednesday, September 18, the Liberals, the political party supporting the President, registered the draft of the bill to allow any President during the last three months of the mandate to run as an independent on the lists of any political party.
Sources say the Socialists won’t oppose the bill, and Klaus Johannis will promulgate the law after Parliament votes.
The scenario goes even further—the same sources say the President will be the first on the Liberal Party’s list for the Senate in Bucharest, undoubtedly making him a Senator. Sources say Johannis also aims for the Head of the Senate position, the second position in the State.
In addition, as the Liberals have very low chances of winning the presidential elections, Nicolae Ciuca, the current Head of the Liberal Party and party’s candidate for the presidency, will resign, and Klaus Johannis will be voted party leader.
The above confirms the political stakeholders’ expectations that a Socialist candidate (such as Marcel Ciolacu, the Socialist leader, or Mircea Geoana, the former Secretary General at NATO) will be elected as Romania’s President. Thus, by sharing the top state positions, the President and the Head of the Senate, respectively, Socialists and Liberals will be able to run the future governing coalition as they currently do.
Klaus Johannis was forced to aim for a position within the Romanian State, such as the Head of the Senate, after his pursuit of a top NATO or European position failed.