Romania’s outgoing centrist president, Klaus Iohannis, resigned on Monday as opposition hard-right parliamentary parties planned to have him impeached.

His exit comes as political opponents had sought to remove him over remaining in office beyond the end of his term.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has resigned after parliament initiated impeachment proceedings against him. He said on Monday that he wanted to spare his country a political crisis, because under Romania's constitution an impeachment must be followed by a recall referendum.