Romanian political parties are set to hold a new round of negotiations on the unitary wage law at Cotroceni Palace on August 20, as the government faces an end-August deadline to adopt the legislation and secure EUR 770 million in National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) funding, official sources told News.ro, as reported by Digi24.

The bill has yet to reach Parliament, with Social Democratic Party (PSD) president Sorin Grindeanu saying on August 17 that the coalition had not produced a draft or the financial simulations requested by the negotiating parties. The legislation is a milestone under the PNRR, with failure to meet the deadline potentially putting the associated funding at risk.

The National Liberal Party (PNL) has called for an extraordinary parliamentary session from August 24 to August 28 to adopt the legislation. PNL parliamentary group leader Gabriel Andronache said the session would provide the appropriate framework for closing the issue and protecting the EUR 770 million in PNRR funding.

Grindeanu said he had received no draft legislation or financial simulations following an earlier meeting at Cotroceni Palace.

"I don't have any project. Nothing has changed. He didn't send us anything. I don't have any project, I don't have any kind of simulation, as Kelemen Hunor and I requested; I have nothing to give my opinion on," he said.

The negotiations are being mediated by president Nicuşor Dan, with disagreements remaining over the impact of the proposed wage framework on public-sector employees.

Eugen Tomac, an adviser to president Dan, said the president would not promulgate legislation that reduces the incomes of employees in education or healthcare.

"The salary law is necessary for the Romanian administration, but here I want to be as direct as possible: the president of Romania will never promulgate a salary law that cuts the income of doctors or those in education," Tomac said on August 14.

The government must complete the reform within a narrow timeframe because the end-of-August deadline is linked to the PNRR's payment milestones. The parties are therefore continuing consultations while seeking a version of the legislation that can secure parliamentary approval and presidential promulgation.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/George Calin)