Cuts in salaries and freezing pensions will not be possible as long as the Social Democratic Party (PSD) is part of the government, former Labour Minister MP Marius Budai said on Tuesday, in northern Botosani.

According to him, the PSD will not support any decision that brings austerity and suffering to Romanian citizens.

„Driven by the previous starts in the strictly ‘right-wing’ governments, our alliance colleagues from the National Liberal Party (PNL) seem more and more determined to return to the destructive approach to austerity. PNL announces that it will support any drastic measures proposed by the Ministry of Finance. We convey, once again, to our alliance colleagues that the measures promoted in the Basescu – Boc (PDL, now in PNL) and PNL (Citu) – USR (Save Romania Union) governments that bring impoverishment to Romanian citizens will not be supported by PSD! Reducing salaries and freezing pensions will not be possible as long as the PSD is part of the government! We will not support any decision that brings austerity and suffering to Romanian citizens!” Budai said.

Budai, who is also the first vice-president of the Botosani branch of the PSD, stressed that the Social Democrats „are also open to discussions that bring development and generate prosperity for all Romanian citizens.”

„The Ciolacu Government has shown that it knows how to find solutions and implement public policies that bring development. We are the supporters of social dialogue and that is why we say that these decisions are necessarily made following consultations with the social partners,” Budai added.

AGERPRES