Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan stated on Wednesday that the Social Democratic Party (PSD) proposals from the solidarity package have not been discussed either at the Government level or within the coalition.
He underscored that within the coalition it is important for the governing partners to be informed in advance regarding such proposals.
„This package was not discussed at Government level or within the coalition. These are proposals that were made in the public space. Personally, I believe that, when we have the possibility, we must support vulnerable Romanian citizens and I do not see a problem in discussing as seriously as possible the option for pensioners with pensions below a certain level to benefit from support in the coming period. All these aspects must be discussed,” the PM told a press conference held at the Victoria Palace.
At the same time, Ilie Bolojan warned that the granting of benefits must be based on specific analyses, in the context of the budget deficit Romania is confronted with.
„Regardless of who is prime minister, regardless of the coalition, regardless of who puts forward certain proposals, we must understand that any proposal that means making certain exceptions or granting certain benefits must be based on specific amounts that you should have and it must be seen where we cover these amounts from, because today, as you know, we have sufficiently large deficits that force us to contract significant loans and any measure that generates expenditure or eliminates certain revenues must be based on such an analysis. But I am convinced that, in the coming days, this aspect will also be clarified,” the prime minister said.
On the other hand, he underscored that the proposals and actions which „dissonate” within a coalition create a sense of „dysfunctionality”, generate „unnecessary tensions” and expectations that cannot be met.
„From my point of view, the most important thing is that when we are in a coalition we try to ensure that each party that has certain proposals, in one direction or another, presents them as much as possible internally, that they are discussed in a technical format and, having ownership of these proposals, there is no problem afterwards to announce and put them forward. It does not sound good in any way for parties in a coalition to constantly dissonate in their actions, with some proposing one thing and others something else, because it gives a sense of dysfunctionality and generates unnecessary tensions and expectations that cannot be covered among our citizens,” the prime minister said.
The PSD decided on Sunday, within a meeting of the National Political Council, to endorse the adoption under an emergency procedure of the economic recovery package and the solidarity package, which target measures to protect pensioners and other vulnerable categories, „in the face of pressures generated by the accelerated increase in the cost of living.”
According to a PSD release, the immediate adoption of the economic recovery package and the solidarity package is absolutely mandatory, „non-negotiable.” AGERPRES
