Sorin Grindeanu and Ilie Bolojan Photo: Inquam Photos – Octav Ganea
The PSD accuses Prime Minister Bolojan of blocking the budget negotiations because he included in the draft “a series of provisions that totally contradict the requests expressed by the party leaders”. Also, the social democrats say that Ilie Bolojan has an “inflexible and defiant” attitude towards the governing partners.
Through a post on Facebook, the PSD accuses that “Ilie Bolojan has caused a new deadlock in the governing coalition today during the negotiations for the drafting of the State Budget”.
They report that Bolojan included in the draft budget, which has not yet been finalized, a number of provisions with which the rest of the governing parties do not agree. Among them are, according to the post of the social democrats, the underfunding of the solidarity package requested by the PSD, the cutting of investments, the “confiscation” from the state budget “of a substantial part of the sums due to the local authorities”.
“Through this inflexible and defiant attitude towards the Coalition partners, the prime minister becomes directly responsible for blocking the adoption of the budget and for the instability it induces in the current government”, PSD also transmits.
They announce that immediately after receiving the new form of the budget, the PSD leadership will meet in a meeting to decide “the political actions that are required”. According to HotNews information, the PSD meeting will take place next week, Monday.
HotNews requested a point of view from the Government, but until the publication of the article, the representatives of the institution did not respond to the request.
What happened in today's coalition meeting
Wednesday's coalition meeting ended after three hours of budget discussions. Sources who participated in the meeting explained to HotNews that the leaders of the governing formations will consult the party members to ask for an agreement on the new principles resulting from today's discussions.
In order to consult with the parties, the presidents must receive the new form, which will happen today, according to HotNews information.
A new meeting about the budget at the Government / The coalition leaders did not reach a final agreement. PSD, serial accusations against Ilie Bolojan
The leaders will then meet again on Monday. Only after the project can enter the adoption circuit, sources say. The representatives of the governing parties have proposed to make the budget transparent by the end of next week.
Also today, the Minister of Finance, Alexandru Nazare proposed 1.7 billion lei to the PSD leaders for the solidarity package, but the social democrats refused. Nazare also said that the rest of the money for social programs could be covered by European funds. The PSD conveyed that they will not give up any of the measures included in the solidarity package which is worth approximately 3.4 billion lei, i.e. double what the Ministry of Finance is willing to allocate.
The measures required by PSD
Specifically, PSD requested that a package of solidarity measures be included in the budget.
It is about a package of financial aid “in two equal installments, April and December, for 2.8 million people”:
- 1,000 lei for 1.24 million pensioners with incomes below 1,500 lei;
- 800 lei for 497 thousand pensioners with incomes between 1,501-2,000 lei;
- 600 lei for 612 thousand pensioners with incomes between 2,001-3,000 lei.
These aids alone represent approximately 1.7 billion lei.
In addition to them, the social democrats also demand that the budget include money for national and local investments, but also that no town hall receive less money than last year. They also want all taxes collected locally to remain with municipalities, the abolition of the CASS payment for mothers on parental leave and war veterans, and help for mothers returning to work.
PSD conditions the budget vote on this solidarity package. Otherwise, they threaten not to vote for the package and the government will not have a majority to pass it. Sources from within the party explained that a decision not to vote on the budget is automatically a signal for leaving the government.
