Romania's president sparked fresh political turmoil Tuesday after blocking a proposal by the leftist party that won elections this month to appoint the EU country's first female and first Muslim prime minister. Klaus Iohannis gave no reasons for his rejection of Sevil Shhaideh, put forward by the Social Democrats (PSD), but there was speculation that it was due to her Syrian husband's background.

"I have properly analysed the arguments for and against and I have decided not to accept this proposal," the president told reporters, calling on the PSD to "make another proposal". Shhaideh, 52, who has only five months ministerial experience, is from Romania's small and long-established Turkish minority, but her Muslim faith is not thought to have been the problem.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2016