Social Democratic Party (PSD) chairman Marcel Ciolacu said on Wednesday that equalising the retirement age for women and men is a commitment assumed under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).
Asked on Digi 24 private television broadcaster what the PSD's option is regarding the equalisation of the retirement age, Ciolacu said: "It's something assumed in the PNRR. There are many reforms included there. (...) There was a negotiation between the European families at that time, because the Social Democratic Party could have blocked the whole programme throughout Europe and we considered that it is not fair."
He was also asked if the retirement age is an issue in Romania.
"(...) I think our priority is to increase life expectancy, then we talk about changes," said Marcel Ciolacu.
On the issue of service pensions, the PSD chairman said that "there have been serious legislative abuses."
"It's hilarious what happened in Romania. You can't be a magistrate for one day and receive a service pension. Now it's all extended to the Army, but we can't go into a populist zone to win votes by coming with a message involving the Army and Police. We have one of the safest countries in the world, we walk the streets without seeing robberies and murders. We'll make changes in every category. You can't earn more in retirement than you do on the job. No law is retroactive and then we have to figure out how to tax these excesses of the law. A working group has been set up at the coalition level, Marius Budai is the integrator, I am convinced that in a short time we will close the chapter, not trying to win votes, on the contrary, coming up with a constitutional law and explaining it to Romanians," Ciolacu said