Romania's Social Democrats and magistrates challenge PM's plan to cut magistrates' privileges

Justice Minister Radu Marinescu (PSD) told Antena 3 that the prime minister's proposal to amend the law on magistrates' pensions represents "a starting point", but stressed that the Ministry of Justice has not drafted a bill to this effect, Bursa reported.

Marinescu recalled that there is already a draft in the Senate debate and that, at present, it has not been clearly established whether the amendments will be adopted by Parliament or through a new draft assumed by the Government.

He also commented on the prime minister's announcement regarding setting the retirement age at 65 and capping the pension at 70% of the last net salary, expressing reservations about both proposals.

According to the minister, it is essential that any possible increase in the retirement age be carried out gradually, in order to avoid legal vulnerabilities.

"We must not consider certain social categories as enemies. We must think of an inclusive, coherent formula, one of social peace. I believe that magistrates are not guilty of having a certain status, it was enshrined by law," the Social Democrat minister stated.

Separately, the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) firmly disapproves of the measures envisaged by the Romanian Government regarding the modification of the retirement system of judges and prosecutors, presented by PM Bolojan, according to an official statement from the institution quoted by Bursa.

The intentions of the executive authority flagrantly violate the principles enshrined in the Romanian Constitution and international regulations on the matter, as they have been constantly reflected in the jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court, according to the CSM's release.

"The further increase in the retirement age, the sudden increase in the length of service required for retirement, as well as the drastic decrease in the amount of the service pension, after all these elements have already been substantially modified by Law No. 282/2023, which entered into force on January 1, 2024, are obviously likely to defeat the principles of legal certainty and legitimate expectations that should constitute imperatives for the legislator in the lawmaking activity," the release reads.

(Photo: Octav Ganea/ Inquam Photos)