Bucharest, Feb 13 (IANS): Klaus Iohannis concluded his tenure as President of Romania, with Senate President Ilie Bolojan assuming the role of interim head of state.

The handover ceremony took place on Wednesday at Cotroceni Palace, where Iohannis welcomed Bolojan in the Hall of Honour and they held a brief meeting, Xinhua news agency reported.

Iohannis resigned on Monday, citing concerns that an impending parliamentary suspension vote could plunge Romania into a crisis.

Bolojan, who had previously served as interim President of the National Liberal Party, suspended himself from party leadership prior to assuming office.

He will serve as interim President until May when Romania holds its presidential elections.

The first round is scheduled for May 4, with a potential runoff on May 18.

Ilie Bolojan, 55, was elected President of the Senate in December 2024.

It was the latest twist in weeks of political turmoil after the country's top court called off a presidential election in December amid claims of Russian meddling.

In January, tens of thousands of Romanians took part in protests called by the far-right criticising the vote cancellation after the surprise win of far-right candidate Calin Georgescu in the first round of the election.

Incumbent Iohannis, under mounting pressure, after lawmakers launched a procedure to impeach him, announced his resignation on Monday.

During a ceremony at Bucharest's Cotroceni Palace, Iohannis wished his successor "good luck".

On Tuesday, Bolojan, 55, vowed "to respect Romania's citizens" and reassure international partners that Romania, a NATO and EU member, is "a reliable country".

A former Mayor of the city of Oradea in the north-west, Bolojan was praised for modernising the town with European Union funds.

After assuming the post of the Senate President, he announced that he would fire almost 200 employees in a bid to "stop" the drain of public money, a move critics branded as "abusive".

Romania recorded a deficit of 8.6 per cent of GDP in 2024, one of the EU's highest.

A graduate in mechanics and mathematics, Bolojan is divorced and has two daughters.

While the President's post is largely ceremonial, the head-of-state has moral authority and influence on Romania's foreign policy.