Romanian defence minister argues for gradual reform of military pensions

The system of pensions paid to military personnel should be changed gradually until 2035 to avoid losing personnel, minister of defence Ionuț Moșteanu said in a Digi24 interview, implying that the European Commission insists on a faster pace.

"A gradual reform is needed until 2035. It's 10 years, any system can be reformed in 10 years (...) I believe that, if we have a clear calendar, which is constitutionally sound, the [European] Commission will also understand," Moșteanu said.

Romania must reform its system of so-called "special" pensions so as to prevent the rise of the impact on the public budget, under the National Relaunch and Resilience Plan (PNRR).

Ionuț Moșteanu said that any decision related to military pensions will be made after discussions with their beneficiaries. He stated that, at the moment, these debates have not yet been initiated "because we do not have a very clear plan at this time to change the retirement method or the payment method of military pensions."

"When we talk about military pensions, we are also talking about those in the Ministry of Interior and other institutions such as the intelligence services (SRI, SIE), state personal security services (SPP), special telecommunication services (STS) - all must be dealt with as a whole. At this moment, it is important to ensure that people have a very clear perspective on what is coming," said Moșteanu.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/George Calin)