ROMANIA’S president today nominated incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu to lead a new pro-European coalition government in the country.

The nomination comes amid a protracted political crisis in the EU member following the annulment of a presidential election by a top court.

President Klaus Iohannis said he was nominating Mr Ciolacu of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) to try to form a government. 

Mr Ciolacu, whose party topped the polls in a December 1 parliamentary election, has served as prime minister since June last year.

It is widely seen as a tactical push to shut out far-right nationalists who made significant gains in parliament, revealing widespread anti-Establishment sentiment.

“It will not be an easy mandate for the future government,” Mr Ciolacu said in a statement Monday. 

“We are aware that we are in the midst of a deep political crisis. It is also a crisis of trust and this coalition aims to regain the trust of citizens, the trust of the people.”

The president’s nomination will need to be approved by lawmakers.

The parliamentary election came on the heels of a presidential vote in which the far-right candidate Calin Georgescu won the first round, while Mr Ciolacu came third. 

Mr Georgescu’s surprise success plunged Romania into turmoil with the secret service alleging voters had been influenced by a Russia-sponsored social media campaign.

Days before the December 8 presidential run off, the Constitutional Court made the unprecedented move to annul the presidential race.

The new coalition is expected to comprise the PSD, the right-wing National Liberal Party, the small ethnic-Hungarian Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania and national minorities. 

The three parties have also agreed on a common pro-European candidate to enter the rerun of the presidential election, the date of which is yet to be announced.

Mr Ciolacu said: “Each of the signatories of this political agreement has understood the signal sent by Romanians during the general elections.”