Romanian President wants new government in office by end-May

Romania's President Klaus Iohannis insists that the ruling coalition stick with its rotation calendar and appoint the new cabinet by the end of May.

Liberal prime minister Nicolae Ciuca announced plans to resign on Friday (May 26) such as to open the door to the new cabinet. But his replacement, Social Democrat leader Marcel Ciolacu, previously said that the rotation is de facto suspended until the teachers' strike is settled.

This would be a challenging task, President Iohannis stated, speaking of teachers' requests. And certainly, not all the requests can be accepted overnight, he stressed.

The teachers were planning mass protests on May 25, hinting at the same time that the strike could be "a long-term move".

The procedure for appointing a new cabinet would begin on Friday, President Iohannis announced, adding that "ideally", the procedures could reach an end on May 30, Hotnews.ro reported.

"I told this to Liberals, I asked them to take the negotiations very seriously. We do not need instability and quarrels," the head of state said on Wednesday – two days before the prime minister's announced resignation.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Alex Nicodim)