Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday that he would meet the leaders of the main political parties in Romania for consultations for forming a new Government after Prime Minister Victor Ponta handed in his resignation earlier that day.

Ponta’s resignation was determined by a large yet peaceful protest movement in Bucharest on Tuesday evening, after the tragedy in club Colectiv last Friday, which had killed 32 people.

In his speech on Wednesday, President Iohannis made a review of the events that have held the headlines in the past two weeks: the death of policeman Bogdan Gigina and the tragedy in club Colectiv, which have activated the people and brought them into the streets to protest against the corrupt system.

„This tragedy has affected the Romanian nation’s most sensitive nerve. The people that were initially indignant became outraged,” said Iohannis. He continued by saying that the people were right to demand the politicians in charge to take responsibility and resign. He also appreciated that the protest had been peaceful and appropriate.

However, his speech didn’t reveal any of the changes or solutions that the protesters were waiting. Iohannis said that he would talk to the leaders of the major political parties, the same leaders that have been contested by the people in the past days. He added that he would announce the formula of an interim Government when this would crystallize.

He admitted that a simple change in Government didn’t solve Romania’s problems and that much more was needed. However he added that he was willing to take on the task to start the transformation process that would lead to a new way of making politics in Romania, focused on people, predictable and transparent like he had promised in the presidential campaign one year ago.

editor@romania-insider.com