Prime Minister Bolojan's reaction after a well-known university professor lost his doctorate, live on TV: “We don't lack diplomas”

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan commented on Tuesday evening, after the Government adopted the measures regarding the cuts in the administration and the economic recovery package, the complaints related to the reduction of the doctorate allowance, stating that this is “a practice you will not find in Western Europe”. His answer comes after university professor Cristian Preda tore up his doctor's degree live on TV, as a form of protest against the Government's decision.

In a press conference held at the Victoria Palace, after the Government adopted two emergency ordinances, one of which concerns local and central public administration reform measures, and the other economic recovery measures, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan also spoke about the cuts in the university system, which would be applied from the fall.

At the same time, Bolojan criticized the practice of granting an increase to those who hold the title of doctor, insisting that the main problem in the system is not the lack of diplomas, but the need for competence.

• “We agreed that the measure to reduce expenses in the area of ​​universities should be done from autumn.
• (About the doctorate allowance) It's a practice you won't find in Western Europe. If we were to be fair and honest, we don't lack diplomas, but more competence, dedication, determination. You are already remunerated according to your university degree, which includes your doctorate degree,” the Prime Minister commented in the press conference on Tuesday evening.

A well-known university professor broke his doctor's degree live

Cristian Preda, live on Digi24, tore up his doctor's degree obtained in France, as a sign of protest against the decision of the Bologna Government to reduce by almost half the increase granted to budget holders who also have a doctor's title and who work in the field in which they obtained their doctorate.

Cristian Preda, former dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Bucharest, stated that the attitude of the Bolojan Government towards those who study in addition to obtain the doctorate shows that this title is considered “a burden”.

“The government thought that the big problem of the country is the increase of 890 lei gross for the doctorate. And I realized that, under these conditions, the doctorate degrees have become a burden. We expect to be sanctioned little by little for the doctorate,” commented the professor.

Then he took out of a folder the diploma attesting to obtaining the title of doctor in France and tore it.

Government measure

In the administration reform package, it is stipulated that “personnel who hold the scientific title of doctor benefit from an allowance for the scientific title of doctor in the amount of 500 IEI gross per month, which is granted monthly only if they carry out their activity in the field for which they hold the title and if they have in the job description a set of objective and quantifiable duties that allow the monthly verification of how their activity is additionally capitalized”.

At the moment, the doctorate increase is equivalent to half of the gross minimum salary, but it was capped at the level of 2018, i.e. 950 lei gross.