Romanian political crisis: PM Tudose to submit resignation

His resignation comes just seven months after Sorin Grindeanu was ousted when the Social Democrats and the party's partner, Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, rescinded their support for the government last June.

Romania has lost its second prime minister within the previous year, as Mihai Tudose announced he would resign on Monday. "I remain a vice-president of the party".

Tensions between Tudose, who was named last June, and the party's powerful president Liviu Dragnea erupted last week when the prime minister asked his interior minister, a close Dragnea ally, to resign, accusing her publicly of lying to him.

Mr Dragnea - now serving a two-year suspended prison sentence for vote-rigging - is ineligible to take the PM's job himself.

While Romania has enjoyed a period of strong economic growth, rising inflation and a public deficit higher than the European Union's 3 per cent limit. A botched fiscal reform has angered business. USR is calling for early elections. The ruling PSD, which has a comfortable parliamentary majority, will have to nominate a replacement for Tudose during the interim period and its nominee needs backing from Iohannis.

Mr Iohannis must now decide on a course of action.

How stable and able to govern are the Romanian Social Democrats, the country's ruling party?

Under the Constitution, the head of state shall appoint another member of the government as acting Prime Minister, tasked with fulfilling the relevant responsibilities until a new government is formed within a maximum of 45 days.