Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Marcel Ciolacu emphasized the importance of "social equity" in a "complicated period", noting that as a Social Democrat leader, he cannot accept that a pension of 1,800 RON be increased by 270 RON, while an 18,000 RON pension would be raised by 2,700 RON, i.e. ten times more.
"I wanted a broader, more settled and more professional discussion. We are still at the stage of discussing percentages: 15, 16, 10. I represent a social democratic party, therefore, I am sorry to say, I have a different approach. I cannot accept that a pension of 1,800 RON should increase by 270 RON, while a pension of 18,000 RON rises by 2,700 RON. More precisely, ten times the rise for the 1,800 RON pension. We set the envelope and then make sure that everyone gets through this complicated period without too much strain. It would be very easy to proceed like in Ceausescu's time, set a lump sum and put everyone on an equal footing. It's not fair. I follow the doctrine that PSD stands for. As the PSD leader my obligation is to take care of those with incomes, for example, below 4,000 RON. We must all get through this complicated period. This is called social equity," Ciolacu told a press conference on Wednesday.
The PSD Chairman expressed his regret about the fact that the discussion regarding the pension rise has slipped "into a highly empirical area", and added that after the debate regarding the subsidies for energy costs, the Finance Minister will specify the amount that can be allocated to pension increases.
Also, Ciolacu declared himself convinced that the opinion of the National Bank of Romania will be such as to not create "an inflationary spiral" that would disadvantage people instead of helping them out. AGERPRES