The former president of the PNL, Teodor Stolojan, proposes a new system of professional pensions, with the help of which both the employee and the employer deduct a percentage of the income for the future pensioner. Theodore Stoloyan revealed in a Saturday show broadcast by Digi 24 that the issue related to special pensions is the responsibility of the PNRR.

“The problem with special pensions, of course, we undertook through the PNRR to reform them, based, that is, to base these pension systems on contributions and stability. The problem is not what I put in PNRR. Probably, we should make such a reform in Romania. Of course, people are outraged by the size of the pension achieved by these special pensions. Because special pensions, as you call them, for long service also exist in other countries,” said Stoloyan.

The ex-liberal leader said that the parliament should decide on the type of pensions.

“Parliament should decide, based on the Government’s proposals, in which sectors of the economy, society, in addition to the ordinary pension based on contributions, the second level, mandatory non-state pensions, another type of pension is also needed, which also requires special service. So Parliament has to assess these things for the public. The suggestion I made is this, we have a reality that we have to dialogue with. The reality is that now we have special pension systems, we have paid the pensions, and now you can’t play. So I say this: where we think we need pensions other than the tier one, tier two pensions that are available to everyone from 1 January 2024, we will implement the legislation that we have. Occupational pensions are retirement pensions, if you want occupational pensions. What are the differences between labor pensions? My guess is that both employer and employee deduct a certain percentage of income and create a pension fund that functions as a second tier of private pension, so there is no more transfer from those working today to those in retirement. (…) I am retired from the World Bank, where I worked for 6 years, and we work on the basis of creating a pension fund, where it is limited in percentage, and from the European Parliament you can get some data, if you want, the pension cannot exceed one percent”. Stoloyan said.

Teodor Stoloyan also mentioned the pensions of magistrates.

“I would like to make one more clarification regarding special pensions in the case of magistrates. You know that the Constitutional Court once came and said that if you touch special pensions, it means that you are attacking the independence of magistrates. There is no reference, no word in the Romanian Constitution to special pensions and the idea that if you have a pension of 20,000 lei, such as the average pension of judges, you apply a progressive tax. This means that you are attacking the independence of justice. (…) Thus, the Constitutional Court was in a complete conflict of interest when it issued such a decision, since most of the members of the Constitutional Court are beneficiaries of this kind of special pensions,” added Teodor Stolozhan.