Romanian president rejects PM designate

Iohannis, formerly a member of the conservative-liberal National Liberal Party, on Tuesday rejected the nomination of Sevil Shhaideh, a member of Romania's Tatar minority, who would have been the first female Muslim to head an EU country.

Shhaideh, 52, served as minister of regional development for six months before the previous PSD-led government resigned in 2015 in the wake of a nightclub fire that killed 64 people.

She's a little-known figure, but close to social democratic party leader Liviu Dragnea who was convicted of electoral fraud in April.

He was a witness at her 2011 wedding to a Syrian businessman, who is said to be supportive of Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Dragnea has refrained from running himself, as Iohannis had previously ruled out swearing in anyone with a criminal record.

Although some opposition figures said Romania, a Nato member, could not have a PM whose husband was loyal to Assad, the president would not elaborate on his reasons for rejecting Shhaideh.

"I have properly analysed the arguments for and against and I have decided not to accept this proposal," Iohannis said in a televised statement.

He called on the social democrats to choose another candidate, but they refused.

"Just like the entire country we watched with stupefaction the president's announcement … We looked into the matter, trying to find the honest or constitutional reasons that may have stood behind this decision. We weren't able to find any constitutional grounds," Dragnea said.

"In our opinion, this man wants to trigger a political crisis in Romania," he added.

PSD won 45 percent of the ballot in Romania's parliamentary elections on 11 December.