Senate President Mircea Abrudean said on Monday that the reform of the public administration is not a topic that can be buried, noting that postponing a decision on this matter would send ‘a bad signal.’

„As I understand from the prime minister, who spoke publicly on this subject, a conclusion will be reached this week, and I believe it will be a constructive one — namely, that the administrative reform will go forward. It is a topic that cannot be buried. It is highly anticipated and must ultimately be advanced, in Parliament as well, since a bill of assumption of responsibility will be introduced,” Abrudean said when asked about reports suggesting that the Social Democrats believe the reform will not be completed anytime soon due to a lack of consensus within the coalition.

The Senate president highlighted the deeply negative signal that any delay in implementing this reform would send.

„We’ll see which formula is adopted: the one initially proposed by Mr. [Prime Miniter] Bolojan, involving a 10% cut in filled positions, or a mix between that proposal and the alternative of reducing personnel-related spending by a certain percentage. Whatever the formula, it needs to move forward — because if it’s postponed, it sends a very bad signal,” he said.

Regarding the fact that the budget revision showed a 10% increase in salary expenditures despite efforts to reduce them, Abrudean said the Senate could serve as a model.

„Speaking from my position as president of the Senate — we made some internal adjustments, a reform that was criticized at the time but produced solid results, leading to a 10-million-lei reduction in salary expenses after the budget revision. That’s what the Senate did. What others did, I cannot comment,” Abrudean added.

Asked whether ministers should have already presented their restructuring and spending-cut plans, the Senate president replied: „I believe these plans have been discussed. I did not take part in those talks — you should ask the ministers directly.”

„I can tell you what we did. It’s a model of good practice that I think should be applied elsewhere as well. The results are clear: the institution operates with fewer people, we saved 10 million lei in salary costs, and that’s what ultimately matters — the results, as is also the case with the Chancellery,” Abrudean further stated.

AGERPRES