FinMin Teodorovici: President's statements concerning lack of money for wages or pensions, irresponsible

The Minister of Public Finances, Eugen Teodorovici, said Wednesday night, at private TV broadcaster Antena 3, that President Klaus Iohannis must be very responsible when making statements concerning the insufficient money for the payment of wages and pensions, and if it were true, "you do not make public such a statemen." 

"Mister President [Klaus Iohannis, ed. n] approved a budget at the beginning of this year and we all know very well that he had the elements of the budget, all measures that the PSD-ALDE [Social Democratic Party, major at rule, Alliance of Liberals and Democrats Party, minor at rule, e.n.] Government had undertaken, with their impact, with everything that he needed to understand and to adopt the budget. As proof, he even promulgated it. References such as these, that there is no money for pensions or that a national catastrophe is on the way, are irresponsible statements. Worst case scenario, even if what he said were true, it is a different type of discussion, one between the president of Romania, the Prime Minister, in a private encounter, in order to see if the situation is like that and what measures the Government, or together with the presidency, from case to case, should take. Anything is possible. Even if it were true, which it is not, you do not make such a statement public. Let's take the case of the swine fever. The president of the Romanian state does not announce that something will come and that it is possible that... He needs to be very responsible when making such statements, because there can be severe economic repercussions, and of another nature as well. You can't alarm the population with pensions and salaries. It will be proven until the end that this year people will have had both their pensions and salaries on time, just as the Government promised. I repeat, there are statements that can be made, but up to a point. In any country, certain matters are discussed, primarily, within this framework - Presidency, Government and other state structures. That is why you discuss certain elements of national security within CSAT [Romania's Supreme Council of National Defence, e.n.], you don't just go out and make them public," Teodorovici said. 

According to the Minister of Finances, in the case of budget amendment, it is carried out "as a whole, not partially", as the head of state suggested. 

Asked why money is not being allocated for such situations from the Government's emergency Fund, Eugen Teodorovici specified that it is currently "empty". 

With regard to the Presidency's budget, Teodorovici pointed out that it will not run on debt, and the event of September, where 12 heads of state will be present, will be organized.