Prime Minister and Social Democratic Party (PSD) Chairman Marcel Ciolacu said that the governing coalition will hold a meeting in the coming period to discuss, among others, the military pensions law and NRRP payment request No. 3. In this context, Ciolacu stressed that the relationship of trust with the other coalition leader, Liberal head Nicolae Ciuca, cannot be wasted „just because there was an interest to put out a law dedicated to a certain someone.”
„I believe that what I and Nicolae Ciuca have built together, our mutual trust, is something completely different. It relies on responsibility. First of all, we were two people who shouldered responsibility during Romania’s difficult moments. We took decisions that didn’t necessarily bring us votes, but they were the correct thing to do. I stood by Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca’s side in good and hard times. (…) We will have a coalition meeting, we are behind with the military pensions law. We made a promise, a joint commitment to the military personnel. The bill is under discussion with the Commission, where we must also tackle the subject to micro-enterprises,” Ciolacu told TV broadcaster Digi 24.
According to him, another topic of discussion within the coalition will be the fiscal measures plan that will be presented to the European Commission for the negotiation of a seven-year agreement to narrow the budget deficit.
About this plan, Ciolacu said: „All seven EU states that have overshot the 3% set forth under the Maastricht Treaty are currently having negotiations. The plan must be submitted by October 15. It is a generic plan, it is not a detailed document in what concerns Romania, because a tax reform will follow in Romania, which is stipulated in payment request No. 4. If Romania’s ruling coalition decides not to send any plan, we will automatically have a four-year one approved by the Commission, but I don’t want this. I want the Finance minister to discuss the plan in Brussels, after tabling the document to the coalition, because (…) 2025 and 2026 are the years when we can still implement the money from the Resilience and Recovery Facility. (…) The time has come for Romania to develop,” Ciolacu emphasized.
Asked if his intention is to convince the European Commission to put off until after elections the discussion on the plan regarding the deficit-narrowing measures, the PSD leader gave assurances that the plan will be discussed until October 15.
AGERPRES
