Klaus Iohannis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Klaus Iohannis
Iohannis in 2024
6th President of Romania 5th President of the Republic of Romania
In office 21 December 2014 – 12 February 2025
Prime Minister	See list Victor Ponta Gabriel Oprea (acting) Sorin Cîmpeanu (acting) Dacian Cioloș Sorin Grindeanu Mihai Tudose Mihai Fifor (acting) Viorica Dăncilă Ludovic Orban Nicolae Ciucă (acting) Florin Cîțu Nicolae Ciucă Cătălin Predoiu (acting) Marcel Ciolacu
Preceded by	Traian Băsescu
Succeeded by	Ilie Bolojan (acting) Nicușor Dan
Mayor of Sibiu
In office 30 June 2000 – 2 December 2014
Preceded by	Dan Condurat
Succeeded by	Astrid Fodor
Leader of the National Liberal Party
In office 28 June 2014 – 18 December 2014
Preceded by	Crin Antonescu
Succeeded by	Alina Gorghiu Vasile Blaga
Leader of the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania
In office 2002–2013
Preceded by	Eberhard Wolfgang Wittstock
Succeeded by	Paul-Jürgen Porr
Personal details
Born	Klaus Werner Iohannis (1959-06-13) 13 June 1959 (age 66) Sibiu, Romania
Political party	Independent (since 2014)
Other political affiliations	Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania (1990–2013) National Liberal Party (2013–2014)
Spouse	Carmen Lăzurcă ​ (m. 1989)​
Education	Babeș-Bolyai University (BSc)
Signature

Klaus Werner Iohannis (born 13 June 1959) is a Romanian politician and former teacher. He served as the sixth President of Romania from 2014 until February 2025. Before becoming president, Iohannis was a physics teacher. He also served as the mayor of his hometown, Sibiu, from 2000 to 2014.

Iohannis was first elected mayor of Sibiu in 2000. He was part of the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania. Even though the German population in Sibiu was small, he won by a lot. He was re-elected many times. He is known for making Sibiu a popular place for tourists. Sibiu was even named a European Capital of Culture in 2007.

In 2009, some political groups in Romania wanted Iohannis to become Prime Minister of Romania. However, the president at the time did not choose him. In 2013, he joined the National Liberal Party (PNL). He became the leader of this party in 2014. He was elected president of Romania in 2014 and again in 2019.

During his second term as president, Iohannis faced some political challenges. His public support changed over time. He resigned in February 2025, after the 2024 presidential election was canceled. He was succeeded by Ilie Bolojan as acting president.

Iohannis is the first Romanian president from an ethnic minority. He is a Transylvanian Saxon, part of Romania's German minority. This group settled in Transylvania a long time ago.

Early Life and Education

Klaus Iohannis was born in Sibiu. His parents, Gustav Heinz and Susanne Johannis, were Transylvanian Saxons. He has a younger sister. His father was a technician, and his mother was a nurse. In 1992, his parents and sister moved to Germany. However, Klaus Iohannis chose to stay and work in Romania.

Studying Physics

After finishing his studies at the Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca in 1983, Iohannis became a high school physics teacher. He taught at different schools in Sibiu. From 1989 to 1997, he taught at the Samuel von Brukenthal National College. This is the oldest German-speaking school in Romania.

Becoming a School Inspector

From 1997 to 1999, he was a Deputy General School Inspector for Sibiu County. Then, from 1999 until 2000, he was the General School Inspector. This meant he was in charge of public schools in the county.

Political Journey

Iohannis joined the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania (FDGR/DFDR) in 1990. He was part of its education board in Transylvania from 1997. In 2001, he became the president of this group.

Mayor of Sibiu

Iohannis as Mayor of Sibiu in May 2005

In 2000, the Democratic Forum of Germans in Sibiu chose Iohannis to run for mayor. His victory was a surprise. Even though the German minority in Sibiu was very small, he won with 69.18% of the votes. He won re-elections in 2004, 2008, and 2012 with very high percentages. He became one of the few ethnic German mayors in Romania.

Improving Sibiu

As mayor, Iohannis worked to fix the city's buildings and improve its services. He is widely praised for making Sibiu a top tourist spot in Romania. This was thanks to a lot of work on the old downtown area. In 2007, Sibiu was named a European Capital of Culture. It shared this honor with Luxembourg City. This was partly because many Transylvanian Saxons came from the Luxembourg area centuries ago.

National Politics and Prime Minister Candidacy

In October 2009, several political groups in the Parliament of Romania suggested Iohannis for Prime Minister of Romania. He was seen as an independent politician. However, the president at the time, Traian Băsescu, did not choose him. Parliament even voted to support Iohannis, but the president still refused.

Joining the National Liberal Party

On 20 February 2013, Iohannis joined the PNL. He quickly became the party's first vice-president. In June 2014, he was elected president of the PNL.

Running for President

Iohannis and his opponent Victor Ponta at a TV debate, 11 November 2014

In 2014, the PNL and another party formed an alliance called the Christian Liberal Alliance. On 11 August, this alliance chose Iohannis as their candidate for the 2014 Romanian presidential election. He finished second in the first round of voting. In the second round, on 16 November, he was elected President of Romania with 54.43% of the votes.

Presidency (2014–2025)

Presidential styles of Klaus Iohannis
Reference style	Președintele (President)
Spoken style	Președintele (President)
Alternative style	Domnia Sa/Excelența Sa (His Excellency)

Iohannis with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in March 2016

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Iohannis in Washington, D.C., on 9 June 2017

Iohannis with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in March 2018

Iohannis with President of the European Council Donald Tusk in May 2019

Iohannis with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in May 2022

Iohannis with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in February 2023

Iohannis with U.S. President Joe Biden in May 2024

Iohannis became president on 21 December 2014. His campaign focused on fighting corruption and improving the justice system. He also supported a strong pro-Western foreign policy. When he became president, he stopped being a formal member of the National Liberal Party. This is because the Romanian constitution does not allow the president to be a member of a political party while in office.

Working with Parliament and Prime Ministers

Iohannis often held meetings with political parties in Parliament. These meetings focused on important topics like defense spending and election laws. He also discussed how to handle requests to remove legal protection for members of Parliament.

His relationship with Prime Minister Victor Ponta started well but later faced challenges. Iohannis also criticized Parliament for not always supporting requests to investigate politicians. He strongly supported fighting corruption.

International Relations

In foreign policy, Iohannis and the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, created the Bucharest Nine group in 2015. This group includes nine countries in Eastern Europe. It was formed because of concerns about Russia's actions in Ukraine. The member countries are Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.

Political Changes and Resignation

Iohannis faced political challenges during his second term. In 2021, there were changes in the government. A new coalition, the National Coalition for Romania, was formed. Iohannis supported this new government.

In June 2023, the Prime Minister, Nicolae Ciucă, resigned. President Iohannis then chose Marcel Ciolacu to be the next prime minister. Iohannis praised this change, calling it a "new level of seriousness" in Romanian politics.

On 12 March 2024, Iohannis announced he was running for the position of Secretary-General of NATO. He wanted to bring a "renewal of perspective" to the alliance. He withdrew his candidacy on 20 June 2024.

The 2024 Romanian presidential election was canceled in December. The Constitutional Court allowed Iohannis to stay as president until a new election could be held. However, on 10 February 2025, Iohannis announced his resignation. He said he did not want to "create a divided Romania." His resignation became official on 12 February 2025. Ilie Bolojan, the Senate president, became acting president until a new election.

International Presidential Trips

Political Views

Unification of Moldova and Romania

Iohannis has spoken about the idea of unifying Moldova and Romania. During his 2014 presidential campaign, he said that if Moldovan citizens wanted to unite with Romania, no one could stop them. After becoming president, he said Romania should help Moldova become more pro-European. He believes unification could be discussed when both countries are stable.

Székely Autonomy

In 2017, some members of the Hungarian Székely community in Transylvania asked for more self-rule for their region. Iohannis visited the area and said that creating regions based on ethnic groups was not a good idea. He stressed that Romanians and Hungarians should work together.

In April 2020, a bill about Székely autonomy was discussed in Parliament. Iohannis criticized this bill. He was fined by the National Council for Combating Discrimination for some of his comments during this time.

Romanian Minority Rights in Ukraine

Iohannis criticized Ukraine's 2017 education law. This law made Ukrainian the only language for teaching in state schools. Iohannis said this law would limit the education of minorities, including Romanians in Ukraine, in their native language. He canceled a visit to Kyiv because of this issue.

Fighting Corruption

Iohannis strongly supports the fight against corruption in Romania. Since 2014, he has often supported prosecutors who investigate corruption cases. He believes that no one is above the law. He also refused demands to remove the head of Romania's National Anticorruption Directorate.

LGBT Rights

Iohannis has spoken about LGBT rights. He has said that Romanian society is not fully ready for a clear answer on some issues. However, he believes that all minorities have rights. He also stated that "nobody should be persecuted because they belong to a different group or they are different." He has called for tolerance and openness.

Migration

Iohannis has said that migration needs to be managed. He believes it can affect Romanian traditions. He has supported stronger borders for Europe. He accepted the number of migrants his country should take, as set by the European Union. However, he said he was against mandatory quotas.

Personal Life

Klaus Iohannis speaks German, Romanian, and English. He can also speak some French. His original German family name is Johannis. However, it was written as Iohannis on his birth certificate. He has used both spellings.

In 1989, he married Carmen Lăzurcă. She is an English teacher in Sibiu. They do not have children.

Iohannis is a member of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Romania. This is a German-speaking Lutheran church.

His family settled in Transylvania about 850 years ago. They came from the small town of Cisnădie in Sibiu County.

Honours

International and National Awards

• 2023 – German Civic Award
• 2023 – Franz Werfel Award for Human Rights
• 2020 – European Charles IV Prize
• 2020/2021 – Charlemagne Prize
• 2020 – The Kaiser Otto Prize
• 2020 – European Prize Coudenhove-Kalergi
• 2019 – Medal of Honour (Goldene Ehrennadel)
• 2018 – Franz Josef Strauss award
• 2017 – Light Unto the Nations award
• 2017 – Semper Opera Ball Dresden Medal of St. George
• 2016 – Hermann Ehlers award
• 2016 – Martin Buber-Plaque
• 2010 – Friend of the Jewish Communities in Romania Medal of Honour
• 2010 – The German Expatriates Association Plaque of Honour

State Honorary Distinctions

• 2023 – Grand Collar of the Order of Liberty
• 2022 – Grand Cross of the Order for Merits to Lithuania
• 2022 – Order of the Three Stars – Commander Grand Cross (1st class)
• 2022 – Grand Collar of the State of Palestine
• 2021 – Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana
• 2019 – Emblem of Honour of Romanian Army
• 2017 – Grand Order of King Tomislav with Sash and Grand Star
• 2016 – Order (First Class) of the White Double Cross
• 2016 – Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour
• 2016 – Order of the White Eagle
• 2016 – Grand Cross (Special Class) of the Order of Merit
• 2016 – Order Stara Planina with Ribbon
• 2016 – Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit
• 2016 – Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau
• 2016 – Collar (First Class) of the Order of Vytautas the Great
• 2016 – Order of the Holy Sepulchre of the Patriarchate of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine and Israel
• 2016 – Order of the Republic of Moldova
• 2015 – Grand Collar of the Order of the Infante D. Henrique
• 2014 – Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit
• 2011 – Knight of the National Order for Merit
• 2009 – Officer of the Order of the Crown
• 2009 – Grand Cross Order of Merit
• 2009 – Officer of the Order of Merit
• 2008 – Commander of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity
• 2007 – Knight of the National Order of the Star of Romania
• 2006 – Cross of the Order of Merit

Books Written by Klaus Iohannis

Klaus Iohannis has written three books about politics:

• 2014 – Step by step (Pas cu pas). This book is about his political journey as mayor of Sibiu. It was a bestseller.
• 2015 – First step (Primul pas). This book continues from "Step by step" and talks about his plans as president.
• 2019 – EU.RO – an open dialog on Europe (EU.RO – un dialog deschis despre Europa). This book is an introduction to the European Union.

Electoral History

Local Elections (Mayor of Sibiu)

Presidential Elections

Images for kids

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  Klaus Iohannis's signature

See also

In Spanish: Klaus Iohannis para niños