Romania: Bolojan sworn in as interim president
Romania has a new head of state. Ilie Bolojan has taken over as interim president until new elections take place in May. Klaus Iohannis resigned from the post on Monday. He was already due to leave office after the presidential elections at the end of last year, but then they were annulled. Prior to becoming president of the Senate in December, the liberal-conservative Bolojan had only been active as a local politician. The country's media don't see this as a disadvantage.
A chance to restore credibility
Bolojan could rehabilitate the office of president, says Deutsche Welle's Romanian service:
“Ilie Bolojan has the complicated task of restoring the credibility of the office of president and relaunching communication with the people. ... The interim president may also disclose the excessive spending that took place before he took office and shed light on the complications of the election that turned the country upside down in December. If he sticks to the austerity he has displayed so far as well as his typical Transylvanian modesty, he has a chance of rebuilding the relationship between power and society and the credibility of the most important function in the Romanian state architecture.”
Now he can show what he is capable of
Although the government has already decided on another candidate Bolojan could remain in office for a long time to come, G4Media.ro observes:
“Why is Bolojan's candidacy more likely to succeed than any other? Because the office of interim president is like an electoral springboard for every politician who moves into the presidential palace. It gives him maximum visibility, prestige and the chance to prove to others that he is up to the job of head of state. Of course, he could just as easily expose his limitations. Throughout his career, Bolojan has only held local administrative posts - as mayor and county councillor. He has never been involved in big politics. But the post of interim president now gives him a competitive advantage.”
Learn from the crisis
Romania has reached a turning point with the president's resignation, writes Jurnalul National:
“Klaus Iohannis' stepping down is not just a political act, it's also a symbol of the fragility of the leadership in a state struggling with its institutional demons. The questions raised by his departure concern not only the decisions of a single man, but also an entire system that allows the concentration of power in a way that is neither transparent nor accountable. Romania now has the opportunity to use this crisis to bring about change and rethink not only who should lead the country but also how it should be run.”