New bill could increase special pensions of Romanian MPs’ drivers

A new bill submitted to the Parliament by three MPs of the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) provides higher special pensions for parliamentary civil servants. For example, the Secretary General of the Chamber of Deputies could get a special pension of over RON 16,000 (EUR 3,360) per month, according to local Digi24. The Parliament’s drivers would also get higher pensions.

The parliamentary civil servants already receive special pensions but these don’t increase in line with the yearly basic salary hikes. The bill submitted to the Parliament by PSD MPs Florin Iordache, Serban Nicolae and Eugen Nicolae comes to fix just that, Digi24 reported. The bill passed the Senate tacitly, without debate, and was sent to the Chamber of Deputies, which is to give the final vote.

The best-paid parliamentary civil servant is the Secretary-General, who will thus receive a special pension of over RON 16,000 (some EUR 3,360). Meanwhile, a driver employed by the Chamber of Deputies will have a special pension of over RON 3,700 (EUR 780), which is higher than the current salary of just over RON 3,400.

The opposition criticized these measures proposed by the ruling party, accusing them of populism in a year with two rounds of elections – the European Parliament elections in May and the presidential elections later this year.

“We can’t support projects we don’t agree with and in the context in which we, the USR, have projects aimed at giving up special pensions altogether, as we see them as a defiance and offense against all the citizens of this the country,” said Stelian Ion, an MP representing opposition party Save Romania Union (USR), quoted by RFI Romania.

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