site.btaRomanian PM to Present Third Package of Budgetary Measures Mid-September

Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said in an interview for Antena 3 TV late Wednesday that he will present a third package of budgetary and fiscal measures mid-September. The Prime Minister said that legislation must be passed in the upcoming period to reduce costs and develop projects in a way that creates conditions for economic recovery.

Bolojan reported that the budget will be adjusted within two weeks, so that additional funds are allocated where needed, and savings are made where possible. He suggested that spending should be reduced.

The Prime Minister said that 2025 and 2026 will be hard and added: "In the first half of this year, we did practically nothing to correct the deficits. We only did so in the middle of the year, i.e. last month. And the effects for this year are not very visible, because all the measures have only just come into force or are yet to be adopted. So, we do not have much of an effect this year."

In an interview for Digi24, the acting leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and President of the Chamber of Deputies, Sorin Grindeanu, announced that the PSD will come up with its own package of measures for economic recovery. It will be presented to the Prime Minister by the end of next week and will also address special pensions – an issue that has caused division in Romanian society and a wave of discontent among prosecutors and judges who will be affected by the reform.

Bolojan told Antena 3 that magistrates are only one section of the public that enjoys privileges after retirement. He stated that imbalances related to retirement are present in the justice system but also in other systems, such as the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the intelligence services and should be resolved.

Bolojan stated that if the current government fails to push through the reform, then it must resign. He said: "There are no magic solutions. These are mandatory adjustments, packages of measures, if we want to maintain a minimum level of social cohesion and have people be part of this effort, which is necessary. If we do not have the legitimacy to move forward, then it is better to leave it to other governments that will come with different energy and power to get things done."