Romania’s outgoing centrist president, Klaus Iohannis, resigned on Monday as opposition hard-right parliamentary parties planned to have him impeached.

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.

Romania’s outgoing president resigned in an effort to defuse political tension after a high court decision to annul a shock election result last year extended his tenure in office.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced his resignation on Monday following mounting pressure from populist opposition groups, two months after a top court annulled a presidential election in the European Union country.