Romania's Iohannis Designates Leftist Leader As Prime Minister

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has designated the leader of the leftist Social Democratic Party (PSD) to form a new coalition government under a left-right deal agreed in November 2021 to avoid snap elections by rotating the premiership between PSD, the winner of the 2020 parliamentary polls, and second-placed center-right National Liberal Party (PNL). Liberal Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca handed in his mandate on June 12 in line with the agreement. The third party in the coalition, the ethnic Hungarian UDMR, said it would withdraw from the group after it was not given its previous ministerial portfolios in the new government. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Romanian Service, click here.