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According to Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, discussions on Tuesday with police trade unionists and the leadership of the Home Affairs Ministry (MAI) focused on establishing principles with a view to adopting measures to restore the attractiveness of jobs at MAI, the National Administration of Penitentiaries (ANP) and the Defence Ministry (MApN), considering the staff shortage in those areas.
"During the 30 years of democracy, many of the rights have become uniform between civilians and military. And then there is a shortage of personnel in the area of the Defence Ministry and the Home Affairs Ministry. And it is normal for the government to make sure that these jobs become attractive again, not only by what they do, but also by the concrete benefits they pay. And all the discussion I had with the unions, and also with the leadership of the Home Affairs Ministry, with the minister, was based on this principle. And from here we will see the measures that we will take together, which will also include ANP and the Defence Ministry, so that we can make these jobs attractive again," said Ciolacu, agerpres reports.
He said that MAI has allocated three times more funds for investment in 2024 than in 2023.
"This year, investment is three times more than in 2023. So, there has to be consistency. We cannot gear the entire budget of the Ministry of the Interior - 93% as it was a few years ago - towards pensions and wages. A balance has to be stricken between investment, infrastructure within the Ministry of the Interior, because challenges are completely different. We also know that the world is changing, we are in a flux, the home affairs minister spoke a lot of the digital transformation of the ministry from the inside. And, last but not least, we agreed on some principles regarding the reform."
The prime minister said that he is available to talk to "everyone", when asked about the street protests of hauliers and farmers, adding that a macroeconomic balance was preserved.
When asked if the demonstrations are political, he said that as far as the protests of farmers and hauliers are concerned, they are "accumulated grievances" and the result of a lack of dialogue,.
