SOURCES The parties in the governing Coalition, close to an agreement on money for pensioners
The parties in the ruling coalition PSD, PNL, USR and UDMR are one step away from reaching a consensus on the “social package”, imposed by the social democrats as a condition for adopting the budget, according to information obtained by “Adevărul”.
The leaders of the ruling coalition. PHOTO: Inquam Photos
In the initial version, the proposal put on the PSD Coalition's table included direct support for pensioners, with a budgetary impact of 3.2 billion lei, structured in two annual installments (April and December). In total, the pensioners would have received between 600 and 1,000 lei. Also, the social democrats propose the elimination of the CASS quota (10%) for certain categories, among which are mothers on parental leave and war veterans.
The social package will be adopted, but in a restricted form
In recent weeks, the Coalition parties have clashed in statements on this topic. While the social democrats claimed that the funds needed for the social package are already in the budget, PNL and USR representatives urged them to indicate the exact source of funding.
Despite this rhetoric, the Coalition is close to reaching an agreement on help for pensioners, but in a more limited form. According to “Adevarul” information, at the moment there are discussions on a package with an estimated budget impact of between 1.2 and 1.7 billion lei, the beneficiaries, as well as the form of award, will be finalized.
The information was also confirmed by the president of UDMR, Kelemen Hunor, in a short statement given to the Știripesource portal.
“That (ed. – the problem of the social package) is solved. It should not be supported there, that was discussed for a very long time. The only question is whether it is paid twice or once, whether it is paid in the first half of the year, and in the second half, or only once. Everyone agrees that a one-off payment must be made for retirees with small pensions. Here we have no more discussions. If I say everyone, I in this phrase “all the world” include Mr. Bolojan, and Mr. Nazare, and Mr. Grindeanu, and myself,” said Kelemen Hunor.
Minister of Finance: “We cannot afford expenses without a source”
On Monday, March 2, the Minister of Finance, Alexandru Nazare, broadly presented the budget for this year, reiterating that it will be one of moderation, given that Romania cannot afford expenses without coverage.
“We aim to reduce the deficit to 6% of GDP, in a context where pressures remain high. Although, on the basis of the loans accumulated in previous years, interest rates increase by approximately 0.5% of GDP, investments rise above the level of 2025 – especially those from European funds, which increase from 78 billion lei to over 100 billion lei. (…) We must have a realistic budget. We cannot allow slippages, expenditures without a source or measures without measures coverage, which only offers false hope to the vulnerable population. The objective is to reduce the state's need to borrow, to strengthen confidence, to create conditions for more advantageous financing – all this, for a truly better life for Romanians”Alexandru Nazare sent in a post on Facebook.
A new meeting of the governing coalition is scheduled for Wednesday, where the allocations included in the budget proposal will be analyzed in more detail. Therefore, in a scenario where no other topics of tension arise in the Coalition, the Parliament could adopt the budget in two weeks at the earliest.
