Romanian Social Democrats threaten Govt. with no-confidence motion unless it hikes pensions

Romania's main opposition party, the Social Democrat Party (PSD), will submit a no-confidence motion if the Liberal Government amends the law on public pensions by emergency ordinance, former labor minister Lia Olguta Vasilescu announced on Thursday, May 28.

The Government must change the Pension Law if it wants to avoid the 40% pension hike scheduled for September 1.

Vasilescu said that PSD's interim National Permanent Bureau took this decision on Thursday.

"They can only make this change in the law through an emergency ordinance, and when they adopt it, we will already start collecting signatures for the no-confidence motion," Vasilescu announced in a press conference, G4media.ro reported.

In principle, the Government should come up with the amendment to the Pension Law after July - when the second budget revision is expected.

The general elections are most likely to be held in early December.

Vasilescu stressed that when PSD submits a no-confidence motion, it will make sure that it has the votes to overthrow the Government of prime minister Ludovic Orban.

PM Orban said on Saturday evening that pensions would increase as the economy allows. The Government has been analyzing several options to carry out the 40% pension hike in stages, as the COVID-19 crisis has further increased the pressure on the state budget.

(Photo source: Facebook/Lia Olguta Vasilescu)