Minister of Investments and European Projects, Dragoș Pîslaru, declared on Wednesday, on Digi24, that the elimination of special pensions represents „an act of justice in society” and exactly the type of reform that Romanians were waiting for in order to gain confidence in the way of governance.
Asked if he would transmit the decision regarding the cutting of special pensions to the European Commission, the minister confirmed that he would officially inform the European authorities.
He specified that the formal proof would be transmitted after the law is promulgated by the president and published in the Official Gazette.
„Finally, we can also put on the table the proof of the failure of the reform as it was assumed”, said the minister.
Regarding the chances of recovering the 231 million euros blocked by the European Commission, Pîslaru was cautious. He acknowledged that Romania had missed the November 28 deadline by more than two months. „I will make every diplomatic, formal and informal effort to demonstrate that the reform has been completed,” the minister said. However, he added that he could not guarantee the recovery of the amount.
Asked to specify whether there were guarantees from European officials that the current form of the law met the standards assumed by the PNRR, the minister clarified that, informally, the European Commission had agreed with the text proposed by the government.
„It is strictly a question of time,” Pîslaru stressed. However, the minister warned that missing the deadline was not a minor issue. Pîslaru mentioned that in the case of other states in similar situations, the European Commission had applied penalties.
„We must demonstrate that Romania’s situation is a particular one,” Pîslaru concluded.