Romania’s President KLAUS IOHANNIS has resigned following pressure for him to step down ahead of a re-run of a presidential election that was controversially cancelled last year.

The December vote was voided by Romania’s top court after allegations of Russian state meddling.

The outgoing IOHANNIS, a pro-EU liberal, had said he would stay on in office until a successor was elected in May.

But that had been strongly criticised by far-right politicians and their supporters, who had performed well in the first round of the vote in December.

Their criticism had inspired tens of thousands of Romanians to take to the streets last month in protest against the election’s cancellation.