Romania must become a country where work, not privilege, is rewarded, emphasised on Monday the Minister of Investments and European Projects, Dragos Pislaru.

„In a normal world, all citizens are equal. Today’s decision by the Constitutional Court does not change the reality we face: Romania needs a fair, sustainable and equitable pension system for all citizens, regardless of profession. Since we are discussing a procedural issue, Parliament can remedy it, and the law can proceed to the Presidency for promulgation. We respect the independence of the judiciary, but privileges cannot be confused with fundamental rights,” Dragos Pislaru wrote on his Facebook page.

According to the Minister of Investments and European Projects, „the state cannot continue on an unsustainable fiscal path, where some benefit from pensions of tens of thousands of lei, while others, after a lifetime of work, can barely afford their medicines.”

„The reform of special pensions is not a whim, but a matter of normality and responsibility towards all taxpayers. We await the Constitutional Court’s reasoning and will see the steps that need to be taken next. Romania must become a country where work, not privilege, is rewarded,” Minister Pislaru added.

On Monday, the Constitutional Court of Romania upheld the referral submitted by the High Court of Cassation and Justice regarding the law on magistrates’ pensions, for which the Government had assumed responsibility in Parliament, and ruled that the legislation is unconstitutional, CCR officials said. AGERPRES