It seems that an agreement has been reached in the governing coalition regarding the third package of fiscal measures and special pensions. There are only 10 days left to save the 230 million euros from the PNRR, a milestone whose deadline is November 28, 2025.
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The problem now is whether there is still time for the necessary legislative formalities, and whether the CSM, CCR, ICCJ will not block the package of laws again, considering that their requests regarding the amount of pensions and the retirement age have not been met.
It is interesting that now, after the PSD Congress, harsh criticisms between Grindeanu and Bolojan were no longer heard in the public space, even the president Nicușor Dan declared in a televised show that “he has a very good relationship with the PSD”.
The public opinion reacted vehemently to the requests of the magistrates, much more than the society and average pensions in Romania can afford. The former CCR judge, Lăzăroiu, declared that his pension of 10,000 euros does not seem high to him, while most pensioners live on pensions of 500-700 euros.
There was also a demonstration in front of the ICCJ, in which the demonstrators shouted their steps and harshly criticized Lia Savonea, the head of the ICCJ.
It is easy to anticipate society's reaction against the CSM, CCR, ICCJ, if they block the adoption of this third package of laws, having a component related to pensions and the retirement age of magistrates, and the loss of 230 million euros from the PNRR.
The PSD has every interest, now that it has passed the Congress, for the Bolojan government to bring the budget balances within normal limits, also requested by the EC and the rating agencies. Let Bolojan take the swearing of the citizens, and in 2027, when the PSD comes to power, let the deficiencies be solved to a large extent. Not to cause trouble for the PSD-led government. Since four judges from the CCR were appointed by the PSD, it would be expected that the “bosses” who appointed them to send them the “suggestion” to let the third package pass without any blockages.
Moreover, there are voices of specialists, among them Monica Macovei, who say that there is no longer a need for the optional opinion of the CSM or the agreement of the CCR, who have already analyzed the relevant law and said what they had to say.
In addition, it is heard that Mihaela Ciochină, the judge who tipped the balance in the CCR decision that blocked the magistrates' pension law, appointed by President Iohannis, would have sided with the four judges who voted for the passage of the law in the much-disputed decision of the CCR: Asztalos Csaba Ferencz, Dacian Cosmin Dragoș, Laura -Iuliana Scântei, Prof.univ.dr. Elena-Simina Tănăsescu. So that, if the law were now challenged at the CCR, it is expected that 5 judges would agree that it is constitutional and vote for its passage by the CCR.
The problem is the very short time in which the CCR should react, so that the process of promulgating the law ends by November 28.
In conclusion, the society's reaction, the PSD's new position after the Congress, the change of judge Mihaela Ciochina's opinion, the understanding of the fact that such flagrant inequities cannot be tolerated by society, ultimately lead to the passage of the third parliamentary legislative package, CCR and CSM.
