Klaus Johannis
Encyclopedia
Klaus Werner Iohannis is a Romania
n politician of German
origin. Since 2000 he has been the mayor of the Transylvania
n city of Sibiu
, representing the small centrist Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania
. He has been re-elected by landslide votes in 2004 and 2008. Iohannis is widely credited with turning his city into one of Romania's most popular tourist destinations, and the city was declared as European Capital of Culture
in 2007.
In October 2009, four of the five political groups in the Parliament (except the Democrat Liberal Party (PDL)
) proposed him as candidate for the office of Prime Minister of Romania
; however, President Traian Băsescu
refused to nominate him. Băsescu instead designated the independent Lucian Croitoru
. The opposition, which has a majority in the Parliament
, continued to support Iohannis as Prime Minister, and on October 21, the Parliament adopted a declaration asking for Croitoru's withdrawal and vowing support for Iohannis. Croitoru subsequently lost the confirmation in the parliament, and Băsescu then designated Liviu Negoiţă
(PDL
), who failed to receive a parliamentary vote. After the first round of 2009 Romanian Presidential elections, the National Liberal Party
and the Social Democratic Party
signed a political agreement, which in particular mentioned continued support for Iohannis as their candidate for Prime Minister if Social Democrat Mircea Geoana
wins the second round. This is supported also by the political group of national minorities in Romania’s Parliament.
Iohannis is a Transylvanian Saxon
by ethnicity, and as such a member of the oldest of the groups among Romania's German minority
, which settled in Transylvania
(then part of the historic Kingdom of Hungary
) in the 12th century. He is a physics
teacher by professional background.
in Cluj
in 1983, Iohannis worked as a high school teacher of physics at various schools and colleges in Sibiu, including from 1989 to 1997 at the Samuel von Brukenthal
Gymnasium in Sibiu, the oldest German-speaking school in Romania. From 1997 to 1999, he was Deputy General School Inspector of the Sibiu County
, and from 1999 until his election as Mayor in 2000, he was General School Inspector, being the head of public schools in the County.
Iohannis is fluent in Romanian
(at native level), German
(native) and English
. The original spelling of his name (which is a German name) is Johannis, but in Romanian, often the spelling Iohannis is used. Klaus Johannis uses both spellings himself. He is married, since 1989, to Carmen Johannis, an English teacher at the Colegiul Naţional Gheorghe Lazăr din Sibiu, and has no children. His parents, Susanne and Gustav Heinz Johannis, both Transylvanian Saxons, emigrated from their native Sibiu (German
: Hermannstadt) to Würzburg
in Germany
in 1992, acquiring citizenship under the German Law of Return, like many other Transylvanian Saxons did after the fall of the Iron Curtain
.
He is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Augsburg Confession in Romania
, the Lutheran German-speaking church in Transylvania.
in 1990, and served as a member of its board of education in Transylvania from 1997, and a member of the local party board in Sibiu from 1998. In 2001, he was elected President of the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania.
(FDGR) in Sibiu decided to run him as a candidate for mayor. Despite the fact that Sibiu's German minority had shrunken to a mere 1.6%, Iohannis was elected with 69.18% of the votes and has won two re-elections in a row, obtaining some of the largest electoral scores in the country: 88.7% of the vote in 2004, and 87.4% in 2008 re-elections. He is the first ethnic German mayor of a Romanian city since Alfred Dörr, who served from 1940 to 1945. The small German minority is popular in Romania, where they are often viewed as hard-working, precise and uncompromising. Many Romanians also remember that the country experienced some of its best moments under German kings over a century ago.
Throughout his tenure as mayor, he has managed to jump start the restoration of the town's infrastructure, the restoration of its historic center, and a tightening of the city administration. Iohannis is also widely credited with turning the city into one of Romania's most popular tourist destinations thanks to the extensive renovation of the old downtown. During his first term, Iohannis worked with a city council that had a social democrat majority. Since 2004, during his second and third terms, his own party, FDGR, has the majority. Since 2008, FDGR has 14 out of 23 councilors, PDL
has 4, PSD
has 3, and PNL
has 2.
Iohannis established contacts with foreign officials and investors. Sibiu was declared European Capital of Culture
of 2007, together with Luxembourg
(the bearer of the distinction in 1995). Luxembourg chose to share this honourable status with Sibiu due to the fact that many of the Transylvanian Saxons emigrated in the 12th century to Transylvania from the area where Luxembourg is today. Sibiu, or Hermannstadt in German, was built by the Transylvanian Saxons, was for many centuries the cultural centre of that group, and was a predominantly German-speaking city until the mid 20th century. Many Germans have left the city after World War II, and especially in 1990, within months of the fall of the Iron Curtain.
On November 4, 2005, Iohannis was nominated as the "Personality of the Year for a European Romania" (Personalitatea anului pentru o Românie europeană) by the Eurolink – House of Europe organization.
(the National Liberal Party
, the Social Democratic Party
, the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania
, and the group of smaller ethnic minorities), proposed Iohannis as a candidate for Prime Minister of Romania
, after the government of Prime Minister Emil Boc
fell a day before as a result of a motion of no confidence
in the Parliament. Coming from outside the national-level politics of Romania, Iohannis has the image of an independent politician, although his party has consistently allied itself with, and Iohannis has campaigned in the latest European Parliament elections
for the National Liberal Party
. The National Liberal Party (PNL), the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), and the group of small ethnic minorities in the Parliament subsumed Iohannis as their common candidate for Prime Minister of an interim government. On October 14, Klaus Iohannis confirmed acceptance of his candidacy. However, on October 15, the President Traian Băsescu
nominated Lucian Croitoru
, a top Romanian economist, as Prime Minister, and charged the latter with forming the country's next government.
After the second round of talks, a day before Croitoru's nomination, Băsescu noted: "Some parties have proposed Klaus Iohannis. I would like you to know that I have not rejected the possibility for him to become Prime Minister in the condition that my options would be directed towards other [national unity government] solutions. But I have rejected such a proposal because it comes from PSD or another party [PNL]", referring to his alleged constraint to consider a proposal of the largest party (PDL), constraint disputed by the other parties. The opposition criticized the President for not designating Iohannis. Social Democrat leader Mircea Geoana
accused Băsescu that he tries to influence the upcoming presidential elections
by having them organized by a sympathetic government. Crin Antonescu
, the leader of the National Liberals vowed his party would derail other nominations but Iohannis'. After the nomination of Croitoru, Antonescu, a candidate in the presidential election, stated that he would nominate Iohannis as Prime Minister if elected President. Three days later, on October 18, Geoană suggested Antonescu was trying to use Iohannis as an "electoral agent" for Antonescu's bid for president. In response, Antonescu told the press that Iohannis "is not the type of person that would let himself being used". Geoană and PSD leadership has held a second meeting with Iohannis in Bucharest in the evening of October 18. UDMR, which the previous day announced it would also attend, declared in the morning that all their leaders are not in the city. PNL was present at the meeting by lower level representatives, after Antonescu announced in the morning he is on campaign in Cluj
. On October 21, the Parliament adopted with 252 votes for (of PSD, PNL, UDMR and minorities groups) and 2 against a declaration requesting the President to nominate Iohannis as Prime Minister.
In the case of Iohannis being appointed Prime Minister, he will likely be succeeded as Mayor of Sibiu by Astrid Fodor
, vice shair of FDGR
and Deputy Mayor of Sibiu.
, although not in 2009. Former Prime Minister Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
said on October 27, 2009 and again on April 23, 2010 that he would like to see Iohannis become President of Romania.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n politician of German
Transylvanian Saxons
The Transylvanian Saxons are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania from the 12th century onwards.The colonization of Transylvania by Germans was begun by King Géza II of Hungary . For decades, the main task of the German settlers was to defend the southeastern border of the...
origin. Since 2000 he has been the mayor of the Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
n city of Sibiu
Sibiu
Sibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt...
, representing the small centrist Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania
Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania
The Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania is a centrist political party representing the German minority in Romania. It was founded at the end of 1989. Despite originally being a German minority party, the party is popular also with many ethnic Romanians, notably in parts of Transylvania...
. He has been re-elected by landslide votes in 2004 and 2008. Iohannis is widely credited with turning his city into one of Romania's most popular tourist destinations, and the city was declared as European Capital of Culture
European Capital of Culture
The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by theEuropean Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension....
in 2007.
In October 2009, four of the five political groups in the Parliament (except the Democrat Liberal Party (PDL)
Democratic Liberal Party (Romania)
The Democratic Liberal Party is a populist, centre-right party in Romania. It was formed on 15 December 2007, when the Democratic Party merged with the Liberal Democratic Party. From 2004 to 2007, the Democratic Party was part of the governing Justice and Truth Alliance...
) proposed him as candidate for the office of Prime Minister of Romania
Prime Minister of Romania
The Prime Minister of Romania is the head of the Government of Romania. Initially, the office was styled President of the Council of Ministers , when the term "Government" included more than the Cabinet, and the Cabinet was called The Council of Ministers...
; however, President Traian Băsescu
Traian Basescu
Traian Băsescu is the current President of Romania. After serving as the mayor of Bucharest from June 2000 until December 2004, he was elected president in the Romanian Presidential Elections of 2004 and inaugurated on December 20, 2004...
refused to nominate him. Băsescu instead designated the independent Lucian Croitoru
Lucian Croitoru
Lucian Croitoru is a Romanian economist. On October 15, 2009, following the defeat of Emil Boc's government through a motion of no confidence, President Traian Băsescu nominated Croitoru to be Prime Minister of Romania...
. The opposition, which has a majority in the Parliament
Parliament of Romania
The Parliament of Romania is made up of two chambers:*The Chamber of Deputies*The SenatePrior to the modifications of the Constitution in 2003, the two houses had identical attributes. A text of a law had to be approved by both houses...
, continued to support Iohannis as Prime Minister, and on October 21, the Parliament adopted a declaration asking for Croitoru's withdrawal and vowing support for Iohannis. Croitoru subsequently lost the confirmation in the parliament, and Băsescu then designated Liviu Negoiţă
Liviu Negoita
Liviu Gheorghe "Livache" Negoiţă is a Romanian politician and lawyer, member of the Democratic Liberal Party and the mayor of Bucharest's Sector 3 since 2004.-Biography:...
(PDL
Democratic Liberal Party (Romania)
The Democratic Liberal Party is a populist, centre-right party in Romania. It was formed on 15 December 2007, when the Democratic Party merged with the Liberal Democratic Party. From 2004 to 2007, the Democratic Party was part of the governing Justice and Truth Alliance...
), who failed to receive a parliamentary vote. After the first round of 2009 Romanian Presidential elections, the National Liberal Party
National Liberal Party (Romania)
The National Liberal Party , abbreviated to PNL, is a centre-right liberal party in Romania. It is the third-largest party in the Romanian Parliament, with 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 22 in the Senate: behind the centre-right Democratic Liberal Party and the centre-left Social...
and the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (Romania)
The Social Democratic Party is the major social-democratic political party in Romania. It was formed in 1992, after the post-communist National Salvation Front broke apart. It adopted its present name after a merger with a minor social-democratic party in 2001. Since its formation, it has always...
signed a political agreement, which in particular mentioned continued support for Iohannis as their candidate for Prime Minister if Social Democrat Mircea Geoana
Mircea Geoana
Dan Mircea Geoană is a Romanian politician, who served as president of the upper chamber of the Romanian Parliament, the Senate from December 20, 2008 until he was revoked by the senators on November 23, 2011. From 21 April 2005 until 21 February 2010 he was the head of the Partidul Social...
wins the second round. This is supported also by the political group of national minorities in Romania’s Parliament.
Iohannis is a Transylvanian Saxon
Transylvanian Saxons
The Transylvanian Saxons are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania from the 12th century onwards.The colonization of Transylvania by Germans was begun by King Géza II of Hungary . For decades, the main task of the German settlers was to defend the southeastern border of the...
by ethnicity, and as such a member of the oldest of the groups among Romania's German minority
Germans of Romania
The Germans of Romania or Rumäniendeutsche were 760,000 strong in 1930. They are not a single group; thus, to understand their language, culture, and history, one must view them as independent groups:...
, which settled in Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
(then part of the historic Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
) in the 12th century. He is a physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
teacher by professional background.
Personal and professional life
After graduating from the Faculty of Physics of the Babeş-Bolyai UniversityBabes-Bolyai University
The Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca is an university in Romania. With almost 50,000 students, the university offers 105 specialisations, of which there are 105 in Romanian, 67 in Hungarian, 17 in German, and 5 in English...
in Cluj
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
in 1983, Iohannis worked as a high school teacher of physics at various schools and colleges in Sibiu, including from 1989 to 1997 at the Samuel von Brukenthal
Samuel von Brukenthal
Samuel von Brukenthal was the Habsburg governor of the Grand Principality of Transylvania between July 6, 1774 and January 9, 1787...
Gymnasium in Sibiu, the oldest German-speaking school in Romania. From 1997 to 1999, he was Deputy General School Inspector of the Sibiu County
Sibiu County
Sibiu is a county of Romania, in the historical region Transylvania, with the capital city Sibiu.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 421,724 and the population density was 78/km²....
, and from 1999 until his election as Mayor in 2000, he was General School Inspector, being the head of public schools in the County.
Iohannis is fluent in Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
(at native level), German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
(native) and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The original spelling of his name (which is a German name) is Johannis, but in Romanian, often the spelling Iohannis is used. Klaus Johannis uses both spellings himself. He is married, since 1989, to Carmen Johannis, an English teacher at the Colegiul Naţional Gheorghe Lazăr din Sibiu, and has no children. His parents, Susanne and Gustav Heinz Johannis, both Transylvanian Saxons, emigrated from their native Sibiu (German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: Hermannstadt) to Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1992, acquiring citizenship under the German Law of Return, like many other Transylvanian Saxons did after the fall of the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
.
He is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Augsburg Confession in Romania
Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Augsburg Confession in Romania
The Evangelical Church of Augustan Confession in Romania is a German-speaking Lutheran church in Romania, mainly based in Transylvania. Its history goes back to the 12th century when the Transylvanian Saxons arrived in the region, then part of Kingdom of Hungary...
, the Lutheran German-speaking church in Transylvania.
Political career
He joined the Democratic Forum of Germans in RomaniaDemocratic Forum of Germans in Romania
The Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania is a centrist political party representing the German minority in Romania. It was founded at the end of 1989. Despite originally being a German minority party, the party is popular also with many ethnic Romanians, notably in parts of Transylvania...
in 1990, and served as a member of its board of education in Transylvania from 1997, and a member of the local party board in Sibiu from 1998. In 2001, he was elected President of the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania.
Mayor of Sibiu
In 2000, the Democratic Forum of Germans in RomaniaDemocratic Forum of Germans in Romania
The Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania is a centrist political party representing the German minority in Romania. It was founded at the end of 1989. Despite originally being a German minority party, the party is popular also with many ethnic Romanians, notably in parts of Transylvania...
(FDGR) in Sibiu decided to run him as a candidate for mayor. Despite the fact that Sibiu's German minority had shrunken to a mere 1.6%, Iohannis was elected with 69.18% of the votes and has won two re-elections in a row, obtaining some of the largest electoral scores in the country: 88.7% of the vote in 2004, and 87.4% in 2008 re-elections. He is the first ethnic German mayor of a Romanian city since Alfred Dörr, who served from 1940 to 1945. The small German minority is popular in Romania, where they are often viewed as hard-working, precise and uncompromising. Many Romanians also remember that the country experienced some of its best moments under German kings over a century ago.
Throughout his tenure as mayor, he has managed to jump start the restoration of the town's infrastructure, the restoration of its historic center, and a tightening of the city administration. Iohannis is also widely credited with turning the city into one of Romania's most popular tourist destinations thanks to the extensive renovation of the old downtown. During his first term, Iohannis worked with a city council that had a social democrat majority. Since 2004, during his second and third terms, his own party, FDGR, has the majority. Since 2008, FDGR has 14 out of 23 councilors, PDL
Democratic Liberal Party (Romania)
The Democratic Liberal Party is a populist, centre-right party in Romania. It was formed on 15 December 2007, when the Democratic Party merged with the Liberal Democratic Party. From 2004 to 2007, the Democratic Party was part of the governing Justice and Truth Alliance...
has 4, PSD
Social Democratic Party (Romania)
The Social Democratic Party is the major social-democratic political party in Romania. It was formed in 1992, after the post-communist National Salvation Front broke apart. It adopted its present name after a merger with a minor social-democratic party in 2001. Since its formation, it has always...
has 3, and PNL
National Liberal Party (Romania)
The National Liberal Party , abbreviated to PNL, is a centre-right liberal party in Romania. It is the third-largest party in the Romanian Parliament, with 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 22 in the Senate: behind the centre-right Democratic Liberal Party and the centre-left Social...
has 2.
Iohannis established contacts with foreign officials and investors. Sibiu was declared European Capital of Culture
European Capital of Culture
The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by theEuropean Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension....
of 2007, together with Luxembourg
Luxembourg (city)
The city of Luxembourg , also known as Luxembourg City , is a commune with city status, and the capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is located at the confluence of the Alzette and Pétrusse Rivers in southern Luxembourg...
(the bearer of the distinction in 1995). Luxembourg chose to share this honourable status with Sibiu due to the fact that many of the Transylvanian Saxons emigrated in the 12th century to Transylvania from the area where Luxembourg is today. Sibiu, or Hermannstadt in German, was built by the Transylvanian Saxons, was for many centuries the cultural centre of that group, and was a predominantly German-speaking city until the mid 20th century. Many Germans have left the city after World War II, and especially in 1990, within months of the fall of the Iron Curtain.
On November 4, 2005, Iohannis was nominated as the "Personality of the Year for a European Romania" (Personalitatea anului pentru o Românie europeană) by the Eurolink – House of Europe organization.
Candidate for Prime Minister of Romania
On October 14, 2009, the leaders of the opposition parliamentary groupsParliament of Romania
The Parliament of Romania is made up of two chambers:*The Chamber of Deputies*The SenatePrior to the modifications of the Constitution in 2003, the two houses had identical attributes. A text of a law had to be approved by both houses...
(the National Liberal Party
National Liberal Party (Romania)
The National Liberal Party , abbreviated to PNL, is a centre-right liberal party in Romania. It is the third-largest party in the Romanian Parliament, with 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 22 in the Senate: behind the centre-right Democratic Liberal Party and the centre-left Social...
, the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (Romania)
The Social Democratic Party is the major social-democratic political party in Romania. It was formed in 1992, after the post-communist National Salvation Front broke apart. It adopted its present name after a merger with a minor social-democratic party in 2001. Since its formation, it has always...
, the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania
Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania
The Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, is the main political organisation representing the ethnic Hungarians of Romania....
, and the group of smaller ethnic minorities), proposed Iohannis as a candidate for Prime Minister of Romania
Prime Minister of Romania
The Prime Minister of Romania is the head of the Government of Romania. Initially, the office was styled President of the Council of Ministers , when the term "Government" included more than the Cabinet, and the Cabinet was called The Council of Ministers...
, after the government of Prime Minister Emil Boc
Emil Boc
Emil Boc is the Prime Minister of Romania, having served since December 2008. In June 2004, he was elected Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, the largest city in Transylvania. Boc is also the president of the Democratic Liberal Party, who designated him as Prime Minister in 2008. On October 13, 2009, his...
fell a day before as a result of a motion of no confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
in the Parliament. Coming from outside the national-level politics of Romania, Iohannis has the image of an independent politician, although his party has consistently allied itself with, and Iohannis has campaigned in the latest European Parliament elections
European Parliament election, 2009 (Romania)
The European Parliament election of 2009 in Romania is the election of the delegation from Romania to the European Parliament in 2009.-Candidates and elected MEPs:Among those expected to take up seats are :...
for the National Liberal Party
National Liberal Party (Romania)
The National Liberal Party , abbreviated to PNL, is a centre-right liberal party in Romania. It is the third-largest party in the Romanian Parliament, with 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 22 in the Senate: behind the centre-right Democratic Liberal Party and the centre-left Social...
. The National Liberal Party (PNL), the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), and the group of small ethnic minorities in the Parliament subsumed Iohannis as their common candidate for Prime Minister of an interim government. On October 14, Klaus Iohannis confirmed acceptance of his candidacy. However, on October 15, the President Traian Băsescu
Traian Basescu
Traian Băsescu is the current President of Romania. After serving as the mayor of Bucharest from June 2000 until December 2004, he was elected president in the Romanian Presidential Elections of 2004 and inaugurated on December 20, 2004...
nominated Lucian Croitoru
Lucian Croitoru
Lucian Croitoru is a Romanian economist. On October 15, 2009, following the defeat of Emil Boc's government through a motion of no confidence, President Traian Băsescu nominated Croitoru to be Prime Minister of Romania...
, a top Romanian economist, as Prime Minister, and charged the latter with forming the country's next government.
After the second round of talks, a day before Croitoru's nomination, Băsescu noted: "Some parties have proposed Klaus Iohannis. I would like you to know that I have not rejected the possibility for him to become Prime Minister in the condition that my options would be directed towards other [national unity government] solutions. But I have rejected such a proposal because it comes from PSD or another party [PNL]", referring to his alleged constraint to consider a proposal of the largest party (PDL), constraint disputed by the other parties. The opposition criticized the President for not designating Iohannis. Social Democrat leader Mircea Geoana
Mircea Geoana
Dan Mircea Geoană is a Romanian politician, who served as president of the upper chamber of the Romanian Parliament, the Senate from December 20, 2008 until he was revoked by the senators on November 23, 2011. From 21 April 2005 until 21 February 2010 he was the head of the Partidul Social...
accused Băsescu that he tries to influence the upcoming presidential elections
Romanian presidential election, 2009
The first round of 2009 Romanian presidential elections was held in Romania on 22 November and a run-off round between Traian Băsescu and Mircea Geoană was held on 6 December 2009. Although most exit polls favored Geoană in the runoff, the authorities declared Băsescu the narrow victor with 50.33%...
by having them organized by a sympathetic government. Crin Antonescu
Crin Antonescu
George-Crin-Laurenţiu Antonescu is a Romanian politician, currently serving as President of the National Liberal Party . He was a candidate for the Romanian Presidential Elections of 2009. He is a member of the Senate, his election having taken place during the 2008 legislative election...
, the leader of the National Liberals vowed his party would derail other nominations but Iohannis'. After the nomination of Croitoru, Antonescu, a candidate in the presidential election, stated that he would nominate Iohannis as Prime Minister if elected President. Three days later, on October 18, Geoană suggested Antonescu was trying to use Iohannis as an "electoral agent" for Antonescu's bid for president. In response, Antonescu told the press that Iohannis "is not the type of person that would let himself being used". Geoană and PSD leadership has held a second meeting with Iohannis in Bucharest in the evening of October 18. UDMR, which the previous day announced it would also attend, declared in the morning that all their leaders are not in the city. PNL was present at the meeting by lower level representatives, after Antonescu announced in the morning he is on campaign in Cluj
Cluj
Cluj may refer to*Cluj-Napoca, county seat of Cluj County, named Cluj until 1974*Cluj County, Romania*Cluj-Napoca International Airport*U Cluj, a Romanian sports club*U Cluj, a Romanian football club*CFR Cluj, a Romanian football club...
. On October 21, the Parliament adopted with 252 votes for (of PSD, PNL, UDMR and minorities groups) and 2 against a declaration requesting the President to nominate Iohannis as Prime Minister.
In the case of Iohannis being appointed Prime Minister, he will likely be succeeded as Mayor of Sibiu by Astrid Fodor
Astrid Fodor
Astrid Fodor is a Romanian politician of the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania. Since 2008, she has been one of two Deputy Mayors of Sibiu, serving under Mayor Klaus Johannis from her own party and alongside Virgil Popa from the Liberal Party. She is the first woman who has served in this...
, vice shair of FDGR
Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania
The Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania is a centrist political party representing the German minority in Romania. It was founded at the end of 1989. Despite originally being a German minority party, the party is popular also with many ethnic Romanians, notably in parts of Transylvania...
and Deputy Mayor of Sibiu.
Possible future candidate for President of Romania
Iohannis stated in 2009 that it is possible he may in the future run for the office of President of RomaniaPresident of Romania
The President of Romania is the head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a two-round system for a five-year term . An individual may serve two terms...
, although not in 2009. Former Prime Minister Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
Calin Popescu-Tariceanu
Călin Constantin Anton Popescu-Tăriceanu is a Romanian politician. He was the Prime Minister of Romania between 29 December 2004 and 22 December 2008...
said on October 27, 2009 and again on April 23, 2010 that he would like to see Iohannis become President of Romania.
Honours
- Honorary senator of the Babeş-Bolyai UniversityBabes-Bolyai UniversityThe Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca is an university in Romania. With almost 50,000 students, the university offers 105 specialisations, of which there are 105 in Romanian, 67 in Hungarian, 17 in German, and 5 in English...
- 2007: Knight of the Order of the Star of RomaniaOrder of the Star of RomaniaThe Order of the Star of Romania is Romania's highest civil order. It is awarded by the President of Romania...
- 2009: Grand Decoration for Services to the Republic of AustriaDecoration for Services to the Republic of AustriaThe Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria...