BUCHAREST Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday designated Marcel Ciolacu, the leader of the ruling coalition Social Democrat Party, as prime minister, part of a rotating premiership deal meant to ensure political stability.

The leftist Social Democrats and the centre-right Liberals formed a grand coalition government in late 2021 together with a junior partner, the ethnic Hungarian UDMR, and agreed that the two main parties will rotate premiers. The Liberal's Nicolae Ciuca resigned his post on Monday.

"That we are here to rotate prime ministers shows a new level of involvement and seriousness of the ruling coalition," Iohannis told reporters. "Romanians were promised stability and they are getting stability."

(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Jason Hovet)