About 7,200 employees of Romania’s Interior Ministry retired from the beginning of this year until mid-September, Interior Ministry’s spokesperson Monica Dajbog said on Friday.

The former military pension stopped applying on September 14, following an emergency ordinance the Government approved in August. The bill introduced a ceiling for military pensions. Those who retired before the law was amended still received the high pensions. This is why a large number of police officers hurried to retire before September 14.

The staff shortage within the Interior Ministry has steadily increased since 2015. It currently amounts to 23,000, according to the Interior Ministry’s spokesperson.

About 1,700 people were hired while 3,000 retired in the Interior Ministry in 2015. Some 5,000 new employees started working within the ministry and 12,5000 retired the following year.

About 5,300 people have been hired and 8,000 have retired this year, 7,200 of them being entitled to special pension.

editor@romania-insider.com