Skip to main content
Thursday, November 12, 2026Nov 12
Subscribe
All Sections
Search
More

Romanian minister resigns to protest vote pressure

A woman walks backdropped by a campaign poster of Klaus Iohannis leader of Romania's centre-right Liberals and mayor of the Transylvanian city of Sibiu, showing a mock representation of Prime Minister and candidate of the ruling Social Democracy Party (PSD) together with the texts "Stop the lying!" and "Choose the normal Romania!", in Bucharest, Romania, Monday, Nov. 10, 2014. Top party lieutenants in Ponta’s Social Democratic Party, regular party members and other supporters have been convicted or are being probed for corruption, but Ponta appears unscathed. An election runoff will be held on Nov. 16., to elect a new leader as President Traian Basescu steps down after 10 years in office. (AP Photo/Octav Ganea, Mediafax) ROMANIA OUT
A woman walks backdropped by a campaign poster of Klaus Iohannis leader of Romania's centre-right Liberals and mayor of the Transylvanian city of Sibiu, showing a mock representation of Prime Minister and candidate of the ruling Social Democracy Party (PSD) together with the texts "Stop the lying!" and "Choose the normal Romania!", in Bucharest, Romania, Monday, Nov. 10, 2014. Top party lieutenants in Ponta’s Social Democratic Party, regular party members and other supporters have been convicted or are being probed for corruption, but Ponta appears unscathed. An election runoff will be held on Nov. 16., to elect a new leader as President Traian Basescu steps down after 10 years in office. (AP Photo/Octav Ganea, Mediafax) ROMANIA OUT A woman walks backdropped by a campaign poster of Klaus Iohannis leader of Romania's centre-right Liberals and mayor of the Transylvanian city of Sibiu, showing a mock representation of Prime Minister and candidate of the ruling Social Democracy Party (PSD) together with the texts "Stop the lying!" and "Choose the normal Romania!", in Bucharest, Romania, Monday, Nov. 10, 2014. Top party lieutenants in Ponta’s Social Democratic Party, regular party members and other supporters have been convicted or are being probed for corruption, but Ponta appears unscathed. An election runoff will be held on Nov. 16., to elect a new leader as President Traian Basescu steps down after 10 years in office. (AP Photo/Octav Ganea, Mediafax) ROMANIA OUT

By Associated Press 2 min read

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) – Romania’s foreign minister resigned Monday amid complaints that Romanians living abroad were unable to vote in the country’s presidential election.

Romanians in Paris, London, Munich and elsewhere said they had to stand in line for hours and were unable to vote in the Nov. 2 election. In Romania, thousands of people protested against the government this weekend, saying it prevented expats – most of whom oppose the government – from voting.

Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean stepped down, saying he was being pressured ahead of the Nov. 16 presidential runoff to allow extra polling booths, which he claims would break the country’s voting rules.

Commentator Cristian Tudor Popescu said Prime Minister Victor Ponta had made a mistake by making it difficult for Romanians to vote for a new leader – something now perceived as a fundamental right gained after the country’s bloody 1989 anti-communist revolt.

The ministry announced Sunday it would send 800 officials to embassies and consular offices to help speed up expat voting but protests have continued.