Minister of Investments and European Projects Marcel Bolosh said on Wednesday that the government and the government coalition must take on the consequences of the reform of the pension system, especially the special one, saying that there is a danger of destabilizing some areas of “national strategic importance”.

Bolosh added that there are already countries that have opted out of some of the reforms demanded by the European Commission, as its flexibility “tends to zero” when it comes to PNRR.

“The content of the PNRR milestone is very complex, it requires radical decisions regarding the reform of special pensions, because this is where we have to start. We have two criteria. The first, that of sustainability, is the criterion by which we must show that the amount of government spending created by this bill is sustainable over the long term. That’s basic requirement number one, and we also have basic requirement number two, which is related to the contribution criterion. And here we have to have a very strict basis, because we have two state systems, I would say, perhaps wrongly: the general pension system and the special pension system,” Bolosh said at Victoria Palace, quoted by Agerpres.

He emphasized that our country should be careful when sending the adopted draft law on special pensions to the European Commission, noting that if there are discrepancies between the general pension system and the special pension system, an explanation must be provided.

“We must be very careful when we send the draft law and the law finally approved by the Parliament to the European Commission for approval, because if there are discrepancies between the general pension system and the special pension system, and I am talking here in terms of the percentages applied to the bases calculation to finally determine the amount of special pensions, here we will have to give an explanation to the committee why we want – if we want and insist – to have different percentages for the two systems, respectively for the general pension system and special pensions,” Bolosh added.

“If there is destabilization at the level of these public services, which are of national strategic importance, the decision must be made by the Coalition”

Marcel Bolosh noted that the decision should be made at the level of the government and the coalition.

“If the Commission insists, is dissatisfied and considers that the stage is not complete and needs to be aligned with the general pension system, then, as I said, the decision will have to be made at the coalition level, at the government level. A government that is the way. Because I have stated many times that it is very easy to make this decision, but the consequences must be foreseen. If there is destabilization at the level of these public services that are of national strategic importance, whether we are discussing national defense, whether we are discussing public order, or whether we are discussing a public ministry, all of these decisions have consequences, and they should and no one else, only the coalition and the Government cannot accept them, regardless of the opinion of the relevant ministries, regardless of what proposals come from the relevant minister, if the issue of this harmonization between the general pension system and the special pension will be raised,” he added, Bolos said.

The minister also showed that this is not a “matter of the game”, adding that if a “radical” decision is taken to reform the special pension system, it will be a consequence of labor migration or the destabilization of these great public services that Romania needs.”

He specified that what is written in the PNRR is the letter of the law, and “the flexibility of the European Commission tends to zero.”

“Let’s not forget that the European Commission’s decision is related to what is written in the National Recovery and Stability Plan. I was also very optimistic at the beginning and tried to find a solution for what is in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, but reality has proven to me: the Commission does not do left or right. The flexibility of the commission tends to zero. I regret to say this, but it is the truth and I want us all to understand that what is written in the National Rehabilitation and Housing Plan is the letter of the law,” the minister added.

“If we see that the reform gives undesirable effects that cannot be managed (…) I said that there are already countries that have given up”

Marcel Bolosh explained that there are countries, such as Bulgaria and Lithuania, which have already abandoned certain reforms because they did not take the consequences, and this can happen, but it is not the decision of the Ministry of Investments and European Projects, the sectoral ministries.

“However, this is the country’s project and the country’s strategy, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, but if we see that certain consequences of the decisions are not foreseen or the reform creates undesirable effects that cannot be managed (…) I said that they are already countries that have surrendered . Bulgaria abandoned decarbonization, Lithuania abandoned tax reforms, and I’m not saying we should do the same, I’m just saying that each reform should be analyzed in terms of the pros and cons it has and the consequences of those reforms adopted by the government. and the government coalition. These things cannot fall on the shoulders of, say, relevant ministries or reform coordinators. This is a decision that must be made at the coalition level, as it is a state project of Romania,” Bolos said.