INTERVIEW The mayor who said that “people who don't work don't deserve to live” explains his statement and claims the same thing: “I wanted to say “those who don't work don't eat”. The meaning is the same, it's true”

The PNL mayor of the Cleja commune in Bacău county, who claimed that social aid beneficiaries “don't deserve to live”, says he used “an inappropriate word”, but continues to claim the same thing: “I know what I'm talking about. There are people who have worked, who can work, but who no longer want to”. In a dialogue for the HotNews public, the mayor claimed that “in our country, the only poor are those who don't want to work”.

• “My problem is to go to work! The country needs workers. We need to move towards prosperity. But what to do if the country is filled with these social aids”, said the mayor, in the dialogue with HotNews.
• “In our country, the only poor are those who don't want to work.”
• Asked if he has a practical solution to solve this situation that he is talking about, the mayor said that he does not have an answer: “I believe that the desire comes from inside the person. He who does not have ambition, who does not have desire can no longer be changed.”

The mayor of the commune of Cleja, Petru Iștoc, caused controversy after a statement made in a meeting of the Local Council in which he spoke about people who “refuse to work and receive social assistance”. The discussion took place in the context of analyzing the situation of beneficiaries of minimum guaranteed income from the commune, according to Europa FM.

In his intervention, the mayor said: “Finally, Christ also says, brothers, “he who does not work should not eat”. Let's work, brothers! We leave the social security, it comes with 140 lei. If you believe me, he leaves work. And when I told him: “well, go to work”, he said: “sir, but we don't get up in the morning”. They don't deserve to live. I tell you, I I declare on my own responsibility that he who does not work does not deserve to live”.

Petru Iştoc is in his third term as mayor of Cleja commune, elected on the PNL lists.

Contacted by HotNews, mayor Petru Iștoc explained what he meant by his statement and how he sees the situation of people who receive social assistance in the commune.

“Citizens from the village stop me and ask me what's up with so many social benefits. “We work and we don't have any”, they tell me“

HotNews.ro: Mr. Mayor, what makes you say that people who don't work don't deserve to live?
Petru Istoc: I think I made a slightly forced statement. It was the wrong word. I wanted to say “those who don't work don't eat”. The meaning is the same, it's true. That if you don't eat, that's where you end up (to death, no).

I said this in the context in which the citizens of the village stop me and ask me what's up with so many social aids? “We work and we don't have”, I say to myself. And they have, apart from these social aids, heating aid, wood aid, energy aid. The law gives them all kinds of bonuses.

Now, instead of encouraging work, we give a lot of such aids. I mean the people who are good at work but don't work. Please let's think about them, not about those who really have problems and whom I really feel sorry for.

What an example to set for our children when, instead of moving towards progress, we sit on social aid. Those parents who do not work and are waiting for the benefits have children themselves. What example are they setting for the children?

– Why do you think they don't want to work? How did you try to encourage them?
– I looked for jobs for them. But it's hard for them to wake up in the morning! They are satisfied with social assistance because they have health insurance. Otherwise, he is not interested in a stable job. They work underground when they need money.

“I know what I'm talking about. There are people who have worked, who can work, but who no longer want to”

– For a man in such a situation, it is not enough to offer him a job. A more complex program is needed for integration into the labor market. Were there such initiatives in the commune?
– There are all kinds of programs. We send them to AJOFM (County Employment Agency), and there are a lot of training programs there. They don't want to. They don't want to accept. I know what I'm talking about. There are people who have worked, who can work, but who no longer want to.

– Did someone tell you that?
– Of course yes. I was told. As mayor, I am interested in these people working, integrating. But they simply don't want to. And I stay in the tavern all day. They are no longer in line with society, but they don't want to either…

“Wherever you go you find work. But you have to want it”

– Don't you think that society is not doing enough to reintegrate them?
– It doesn't exist. It doesn't exist! There are so many cases… Where there is goodwill, I tell you, it is reintegrated. Because they have a place. There are jobs of various training at the present time. Wherever you go you find work. You can also be unqualified in construction. But you have to want to. You can hire a security guard. But you don't want there either. An easier service than this…

– The social investigations after which a person qualifies or not for social assistance are made by the town hall. So the town hall decides if a person is able to work, if he has looked for a job or if he cannot work.
– Of course yes. And we send them to AJOFM, where they do not accept work. But then they come back to us, claim that they looked for a job and didn't find it, so they ask for social assistance.

“My problem is that they go to work! The country needs workers”

– Does this situation upset you because it would affect the commune's budget?
– It is not the budget of the commune. We participate with 10%. That's not the problem. My problem is going to work! The country needs workers. We need to move towards prosperity. But what to do, if the country is filled with these social aids…

– How many people are in this situation?
– There are about 30 assisted persons out of 6,000 inhabitants. I don't have that many. But it's like I don't care, you know? I mean, no matter if there are few or many, go to work! In the villages of Bacău, there are also situations where half of the locality receives aid.

“You can't change this man”

– These people are vulnerable, they need help, education, we should not point the finger at them, but support them…
– Yes, but you have to want it first. Desire comes from within. But if he doesn't want to, if he's older, if he's still drinking, you can't change this man. Only forced by circumstances could he get out of this situation.

“In our country, the only poor are those who don't want to work”

– How could he be forced by circumstances?
– I don't know. I just see that, over time, respect for work has been lost. You should know that in our country the only poor are those who don't want to work.

– Don't you think that this statement is equally dangerous?
– Is this dangerous too? Yes, indeed, and I was in a hurry. That if you think about the bitter pensions that some have…

– Do you have any practical solution to solve this situation?
– I couldn't tell you. I didn't answer that question. I believe that desire comes from within man. He who has no ambition, who has no desire cannot be changed.