BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Romania's president on Tuesday appointed the defense minister as interim prime minister after Premier Mihai Tudose unexpectedly resigned.

President Klaus Iohannis named Mihai Fifor to temporarily take the post of prime minister, saying the current "political uncertainty should not degenerate into political instability" and cause negative economic effects.

Tudose, who took office in June 2017, quit late Monday after the left-wing Social Democratic Party withdrew its support for him amid a power struggle with powerful party chairman Liviu Dragnea. Dragnea himself can't be prime minister due to a 2016 conviction for vote-rigging.

FILE - In this Thursday, June 29, 2017, file photo Romanian Premier Mihai Tudose removes his glasses before a parliament vote on the new Romanian government in Bucharest, Romania. Romania's prime minister has resigned, Monday, Jan. 15, 2018, after his party withdrew its support amid a power struggle with party chairman after Romania's ruling left-wing Social Democratic Party withdrew its support for Mihai Tudose after a meeting lasting more than five hours.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda, File)

The resignation plunged Romania's currency, the leu, close to record-low levels and a two-week low against the euro Tuesday.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is visiting Romania at the end a six-country European tour, arrived Tuesday, but lunch and talks with the Romanian prime minister were canceled due to the political crisis.

Abe will meet Iohannis later Tuesday for talks.

The Social Democrats later named Viorica Dancila, a European MEP since 2009 and ally of Dragnea, as their choice for prime minister. Dragnea said her connections with EU officials would benefit the government.

Iohannis will consult with political parties Wednesday before formally proposing a candidate for prime minister who needs to get parliamentary approval.

The Social Democrats won elections in Dec. 2016 and ousted the previous Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu in a no-confidence vote after he fell out with Dragnea. </s> Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said Sunday that her country would recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv.

The diplomatic status of Jerusalem has been hotly disputed since US President Donald Trump recognized the city as Israel's capital in late 2017.

What you need to know:
• Dancila said Romania would move its "embassy to Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Israel."
• Romania would "remain the same loyal friend and the strongest European voice in support of the Jewish people and the State of Israel," she added.
• The prime minister made the announcement at the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a powerful pro-Israel lobby group.

Read more: Jerusalem: Three things to know

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "I congratulate my friend, the Prime Minister of Romania, Viorica Dancila, on her announcement at AIPAC that she would act to complete the procedures needed to open the Romanian embassy in Jerusalem."

Saeb Erekat, a senior Palestine Liberation Organization official, said Dancila's announcement was a "blatant violation of Palestinian rights, international law, and UN resolutions."

Read more: The 1967 Six-Day War and its difficult legacy

'Total ignorance': The potential move goes against the stance held by the rest of the European Union. Romania currently holds the six-month rotating presidency of the bloc. And Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is the person in charge of foreign policy in Bucharest. He said that he had not been consulted on the statement, which showed "total ignorance" of foreign policy.

Historical tensions: East Jerusalem was captured by Israel from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War. In 1980, Israel effectively annexed the area and declared the entire city as its capital. This move was never recognized by most of the international community.

Challenging path to peace: Palestinians say countries shifting their embassies complicate any effort to forge a lasting peace. The United Nations has recommended that countries should not move their embassies to Jerusalem in the absence of a resolution between the Israeli and Palestinian people.

Read more: US to recognize Golan Heights as Israeli territory Monday: Israeli FM

Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here. </s> Romania will move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila announced at the AIPAC summit in Washington on Sunday, in a controversial move that goes against the rest of the European Union.

Speaking at the Israel lobby group American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) conference, Dancila said Romania intends to relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which she referred to as Israel’s capital, in a move that follows the US’ controversial decision to do so last year.

Most nations with diplomatic relations with Israel have their embassies in Tel Aviv, as, although Israel claims Jerusalem as its capital, it is not recognized as such by the international community. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as their future capital, and Israel has occupied East Jerusalem since the 1967 war, when it annexed the area from the rest of the West Bank.

Dancila is currently president of the Council of the European Union and the move is a marked departure from the position held by the rest of the EU. Romania, along with Hungary and the Czech Republic, reportedly blocked an EU resolution objecting to the US embassy move, which said Jerusalem should be capital of both Israel and Palestine.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Dancila to move Romania’s embassy when she visited Israel in January. “I hope you will act to stop the bad resolutions against Israel in the European Union,” he said. “And also, of course, to move your embassy and other embassies to Jerusalem.”

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis called for Dancila to resign last April after she pushed a secret memorandum to move the embassy without consulting him, and after she went on a state visit to Israel without consulting him. As president, Iohannis is in charge of foreign policy and has the final decision on such moves.

Speaking before another meeting between Romania and Israel in November, Netanyahu explained some of the reasons they enjoy good relations: “We cooperate in matters of security, anti-terror. Romania stands often with Israel in difficult diplomatic arenas and we appreciate this. We recognize our friends and we consider Romania a great friend.” Netanyahu also referred to their shared concerns about “radical Islam.”

The president of Honduras also told AIPAC it would open diplomatic representation in Jerusalem, and hinted that if AIPAC would lobby on behalf of his country, he would consider opening an embassy too, Haaretz reports. Brazil has also said it will consider moving its embassy. Guatemala is the only country apart from the US to have moved its embassy to Jerusalem so far. </s> BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Romania's prime minister resigned Monday after his party withdrew its support for him amid a power struggle with the party chairman.

The ruling left-wing Social Democratic Party revoked its backing of Prime Minister Mihai Tudose after a meeting lasting more than five hours.

Tudose, 50, said he was quitting after a little more than six months in office "with my head high" and would clear out his office immediately.

Social Democratic Party officials said Development Minister Paul Stanescu would serve as interim prime minister.

Tudose is the second prime minister ousted by the Social Democrats since they won Romania's December 2016 general election.

Party chairman Liviu Dragnea said 60 Social Democratic lawmakers voted to withdraw their support for the prime minister, four supported Tudose and four abstained from the vote.

Dragnea is ineligible to serve as prime minister due to a conviction for vote-rigging. Separately, prosecutors froze Dragnea's assets in November as part of a probe of alleged misuse of European Union funds. He denies wrongdoing.

The conflict between Dragnea and the prime minister surfaced publicly last week when Tudose accused Interior Minister Carmen Dan of lying and called on her to resign. Dan, a close ally of Dragnea's, refused.

Tudose's resignation comes as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scheduled to visit Romania on Tuesday. Abe is on a six-country European tour that already has taken him to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Bulgaria.

The Social Democrats plan to meet Tuesday to decide on a new candidate for prime minister, who would need to be formally proposed by President Klaus Iohannis and then voted on by Parliament.

The Social Democrats ousted their previous prime minister, Sorin Grindeanu, in June with a vote of no-confidence. </s> Romania's president on Tuesday appointed the defense minister as interim prime minister after Premier Mihai Tudose unexpectedly resigned.

 

 President Klaus Iohannis named Mihai Fifor to temporarily take the post of prime minister, saying the current "political uncertainty should not degenerate into political instability" and cause negative economic effects.

 

 Tudose, who took office in June 2017, quit late Monday after the left-wing Social Democratic Party withdrew its support for him amid a power struggle with powerful party chairman Liviu Dragnea. Dragnea himself can't be prime minister due to a 2016 conviction for vote-rigging.

 

 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was scheduled to arrive later, but due to the political crisis, lunch and talks with the Romanian prime minister were canceled.

 

 Abe, who is visiting Romania at the end a six-country European tour, will meet Iohannis later Tuesday for talks.

 

 The Social Democrats later named Viorica Dancila, a European MEP and ally of Dragnea, as their choice for prime minister. Iohannis will consult with political parties Wednesday before formally proposing a candidate for prime minister who needs to get parliamentary approval.

 

 The Social Democrats won elections in Dec. 2016 and ousted the previous Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu in a no-confidence vote after he fell out with Dragnea. </s> Romania’s prime minister has resigned after his party withdrew its support amid a power struggle with the group’s chairman.

The ruling left-wing Social Democratic Party withdrew its support for Mihai Tudose after a meeting lasting more than five hours.

Mr Tudose, 50, said he was quitting “with my head high” just over six months after he took office.

Party chairman Liviu Dragnea cannot be prime minister due to a conviction for vote-rigging.

Separately, prosecutors froze Mr Dragnea’s assets in November amid a probe into the misuse of European Union funds. He denies wrongdoing.

The conflict became public last week after Mr Tudose called on interior minister Carmen Dan to resign, accusing her of lying, and she refused.

Social Democratic Party officials said development minister Paul Stanescu would serve as interim prime minister.

Mr Tudose is the second prime minister ousted by the Social Democrats since they won Romania’s December 2016 general election.

Mr Dragnea said 60 Social Democratic lawmakers voted to withdraw their support for the prime minister, four supported him and four abstained.

Mr Tudose’s resignation comes as Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe is scheduled to visit Romania on Tuesday.

Mr Abe is on a six-country European tour that has taken him to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Bulgaria.

The Social Democrats plan to meet to decide on a new candidate for prime minister, who would need to be formally proposed by President Klaus Iohannis and then voted on by parliament.

The Social Democrats ousted their previous prime minister, Sorin Grindeanu, in June with a vote of no-confidence. </s> BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romania’s Prime Minister Mihai Tudose resigned on Monday after his Social Democrat Party (PSD) withdrew backing for him in an overwhelming vote, becoming the second premier to be ousted in seven months.

Tensions between Tudose, appointed in June, and the party’s powerful leader Liviu Dragnea erupted last week when the prime minister asked his interior minister, a close Dragnea ally, to quit, accusing her publicly of lying to him. She refused.

Monday’s vote by the 67-member PSD executive committee is seen consolidating the grip on power exerted by Dragnea, who pushed out Tudose’s predecessor Sorin Grindeanu in a no-confidence motion last summer.

Dragnea, whose party swept to an emphatic national election win in December 2016, is barred from becoming prime minister by a conviction in a vote-rigging case.

Tudose told reporters after the party vote: “They named me, they removed me. I take responsibility for my deeds and I do not regret anything in my actions (as premier).”

He said he would confirm his resignation in writing to President Klaus Iohannis on Monday night.

Dragnea said 60 members of the committee had voted to sack Tudose and four to retain him, with the rest abstaining.

Independent political commentator Cristian Patrasconiu said that, while the day’s events had strengthened Dragnea’s position, “it seems that it will be harder and harder to find a suitable and durable replacement (as premier).”

Deputy Prime Minister Paul Stanescu will be nominated to serve in Tudose’s place for an interim period of up to 45 days, officials said. Iohannis can endorse Stanescu or propose an alternative.

The PSD, which has a comfortable parliamentary majority, will have to nominate a permanent replacement during that period and its nominee needs backing from Iohannis and will face a vote of confidence in parliament.

Dragnea said the committee would meet on Tuesday to discuss proposals for a replacement.

“We want to avoid facing the same situation (replacement of a prime minister) for the third time,” he told reporters. </s> Prime Mister Viorica Dancila announced that Romania's Embassy in Israel will be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

"Romania's Government initiated an assessment process regarding the opportuneness of moving Romania's Embassy to Jerusalem. This is why, I am delighted to announced today, before the AIPAC audience, that after the completion of the analysis by all the constitutional actors involved in the decision-making process of my country and in full consensus, I, as Romania's Prime Minister and the Government that I lead, we'll move Romania's Embassy to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel," she stated on Sunday within the Conference of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which takes place in the US. </s> Romania’s prime minister Mihai Tudose announced his resignation on Monday evening, during the Social Democratic Party’s executive committee meeting, according to political sources quoted by local news agency Mediafax. Most of PSD’s executive committee members voted in favor of withdrawing political support for the PM, according to the same sources.

When getting out of the executive committee meeting, Mihai Tudose told the journalists that he would go to the Government headquarters to take his stuff and that he would not sit in as interim PM until a new cabinet is invested by the Parliament.

The PM’s resignation means that his cabinet will be dismissed. President Klaus Iohannis will have to nominate a new PM who has to come up with a new team and get the Parliament’s vote.

Tudose is the second PSD prime minister forced to leave office after only six months, after a clash with party leader Liviu Dragnea. In June 2017, PSD overthrew its own Government by no-confidence motion only to get rid of former PM Sorin Grindeanu, who refused to take orders from Dragnea any more.

The open conflict between Mihai Tudose and Liviu Dragnea started in October 2017, when the PM asked for the removal of three ministers from his cabinet, including deputy prime minister and development minister Sevil Shhaideh, one of Dragnea’s most trusted collaborators. Tudose won that round and got the cabinet reshuffle he asked for.

The tensions within the governing party started to rise again at the end of last year and in the first weeks of this year, when Tudose asked for a restructuring of his cabinet aimed at reducing the number of ministries. The political commentators saw this as a first step in Tudose’s plan to reduce Dragnea’s influence in the Government. The party’s executive committee postponed a decision for the end of January, but Tudose seemed to be gaining support among other PSD leaders.

However, the tensions continued to rise, especially after the case of a pedophile cop started a huge scandal between the Interior Ministry and its main subordinated institution, the Romanian Police. Interior minister Carmen Dan, one of Dragnea’s protegees, asked for the Romanian Police head’s resignation but Mihai Tudose refused to dismiss the Police head. He accused the interior minister of lying when she said she had a replacement for the position and said he couldn’t work with her anymore. He also suggested that she should resign, if she were allowed, a remark aimed at his party leader.

The tensions within the cabinet determined several PSD local leaders to call for an executive committee meeting to clear things between the PM and the party leader. While the leaders of some important PSD organizations declared their support for Tudose and said he should continue as PM others said he should take a step back, unhappy with the fact that he didn’t consult with the party leadership on some important decisions.

In the meeting, Tudose said he would resign if the executive committee members voted for this. In the end, only four members of the executive committee voted against the proposal that the party should withdraw political support for him. Four other members abstained while 59 voted for the proposal.

The PSD leadership will meet on Tuesday morning to come up with a new PM proposal. President Klaus Iohannis will then have to decide if he accepts PSD’s proposal or he calls other political parties for consultations. The new PM will have to come up with a new team and get the Parliament’s vote. While many of the current ministers may continue in the new cabinet, some have already announced they would resign, according to Hotnews.ro. The ministers that will leave include transport minister Felix Stroe, deputy PM Marcel Ciolacu, EU funds minister Marius Nica, who have openly supported Tudose.

Meanwhile, deputy prime minister and development minister Paul Stanescu is likely to run the government until a new PM is appointed.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis asks Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă to resign. Iohannis says Dăncilă did not consult him before endorsing a plan to move Romania's embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.