Romanian leadership looks to trigger early elections

Romania is poised to hold early elections after President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Ludovic Orban agreed that the move was the “best option” for the country. Orban has been leading a minority government since his National Liberal Party (PNL) took control of Parliament in November after the Social Democratic Party (PSD) lost a no-confidence vote. PSD, however, still holds the most seats, making it difficult for Orban to push through laws, according to Bloomberg. “We decided that the best option for Romania is to organize early elections,” Orban said, following his meeting with Iohannis. “We’ll find the best ways to trigger these elections in order to give the power back to the people to elect a new parliament.” The two leaders have appointed a working group to oversee negotiations with other political parties. Orban said he hopes to combine a general election with this year’s planned local elections, which are scheduled for May.