Romania After the Presidential Election

Klaus Iohannis' victory in the Romanian presidential election marks the beginning of a period of complex decision-making for the country as the newly elected center-right president shares power with a parliament dominated by the center-left majority. Meanwhile, despite his electoral defeat, challenger Victor Ponta will continue on as prime minister.

This situation will likely produce tension on domestic issues since Romania will have to keep public spending under control to honor the terms of its credit agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The first challenge for the Romanian government will arrive in the coming weeks when the country's parliament votes on a budget for 2015. However, the presidential election probably will not bring about substantial changes in Romania’s foreign policy, and Bucharest's alignment with the United States and deeper ties with other countries in Central and Eastern Europe will remain the key objectives of the country's agenda.