VIDEO Ilie Bolojan: “Next year will not be easy for Romania either” / The Prime Minister's assessment and his first reaction after the CCR boycott on the magistrates' pension project
Ilia Bolojan. Photo: Lucian Alecu / Alamy / Profimedia
“We addressed the issue of magistrates' pensions, where the value of the pension and the retirement age were seen as injustices,” announced Ilie Bolojan at the end of Tuesday's Government meeting, the last one since 2025. This was the prime minister's first reaction after the CCR boycott.
In press statements that lasted about 15 minutes, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan spoke after the Executive meeting on Tuesday evening. He made a brief assessment of the reforms adopted since assuming the mandate, about six months ago, and announced that Romania will end this year with a deficit lower than the proposed target, of 8.4% of GDP.
The prime minister also thanked “all Romanians for the sacrifices made” and declared that “we are entering the next year with no debts on development projects”. However, Ilie Bolojan told the Romanians that “next year will not be easy either”.
Romanians will no longer be paid for the first day of sick leave, the Government decided in the last meeting of this year. The measure targets “fictitious leaves”, says the Minister of Health
A first reaction to CCR
Also on Tuesday evening, Ilie Bolojan stated: “We addressed the issue of magistrates' pensions, where the amount of the pension and the retirement age were seen as injustices. We await the decision of the CCR in the next period.”
The project on the special pensions of magistrates was postponed again after four judges from the PSD side did not show up for Monday's talks. This after the same judges had left the session on Sunday. Thus, the reform regarding the special pensions of magistrates will not enter into force from January 1, 2026, as it is written in the draft law assumed by Prime Minister Bolojan in Parliament.
HotNews presents the prime minister's most important statements:
- We had 3 important objectives: to put public finances in order, to govern as well as possible and to do it with respect for the citizens.
- We were about to have our European funds suspended and lose the confidence of the financial markets.
- We had to take several difficult, painful measures for Romanians: the VAT increase, the elimination of some increases, the freezing of some incomes were the first measures that could be taken.
- We addressed the issue of magistrates' pensions, where the amount of the pension and the retirement age were seen as injustices. We await the decision of the CCR in the next period.
- We addressed health financing. Today we spend money more judiciously for health.
- We made important changes in taxation, where we had exceptions and optimization possibilities rather than tax rules.
- We addressed the issue of state-owned companies, many of which are black holes. We are starting to put order in this sector as well.
- The measures we have taken have put public finances in order. After many years, at the end of this year we will have a deficit lower than the 8.4% of GDP that we proposed.
“Next year will not be easy for Romania either”
The Prime Minister thanked “all Romanians for the sacrifices made” and declared that “we are entering the next year without debts on development projects”.
Bolojan also announced that “we obtained political agreement in the coalition to continue the reforms in the administration next year”. “The agreement also provides for a reduction in MPs' expenses and a reduction in party subsidies,” he continued.
“Next year will not be easy for Romania either, but if we keep the established pace, it should be a better year for all Romanians,” Bolojan said.
Ilie Bolojan states that Romania will have a smaller budget deficit than the one assumed by the Government. The condition that no other fees and taxes increase
Several Emergency Ordinances, adopted by the Executive
The government adopted, on Tuesday, an Emergency Ordinance regarding some temporary measures in the field of justice, as well as for the modification of some normative acts.
The measures contained in the Emergency Ordinance adopted by the Government concern the situation of human resources at the level of the courts and prosecutors' offices and consider, among other things, the extension by one year of the provision according to which the duration of the professional training courses of judicial auditors admitted to the National Institute of Magistracy in 2026 should remain 2 years. This change is justified by the need to prevent a deadlock at the level of the National Institute of Magistracy starting in 2026.
The aim of the measure is also to prevent the worsening of the shortage of personnel at the level of the courts and prosecutor's offices (similar to the period 2020-2021, when there were no competitions for admission to the magistracy or to the INM, with serious repercussions on the filling of vacancies in the system).
Other changes refer to the balancing of personnel schemes at the courts and higher prosecutor's offices, being intended to adjust the number of staff (judges and prosecutors) to the needs of these courts and prosecutors' offices.
Also, an Emergency Ordinance was adopted that introduces a new type of social service, of assisted living in the community for independent living, which includes sheltered housing and the center for independent living and other support services for integration into the community, in which they are offered the means to exercise their right to choose and control their lives.
The Emergency Ordinances and Decisions adopted during Tuesday's Government meeting can be consulted in the document below:
