Romania’s special pension reform faces risk of Constitutional Court rejection

The Constitutional Court of Romania could again strike down the government’s bill to reform magistrates’ special pensions on procedural grounds, G4Media.ro reported on August 13, citing Senate president Mircea Abrudean and Liberal Party (PNL) senators’ leader Daniel Fenechiu. The risk arises because a separate bill on the same subject is already under debate in Parliament.

Prime minister Ilie Bolojan’s cabinet has proposed assuming responsibility before Parliament to pass the measure. However, a 2010 Constitutional Court ruling found such a move unconstitutional if a bill with similar provisions is already in the legislative process.

Interim Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader Sorin Grindeanu has demanded the immediate adoption of the special pension reform as a condition for returning to governing coalition meetings.

PSD has not attended such meetings for the past two weeks, delaying the second package of reforms. Grindeanu said PSD’s participation depends on passing a broader “privilege elimination” package, which also includes reducing state agencies, cutting the size and allowances of boards of directors, and abolishing other benefits. Many of these privileges were introduced over the past decade by PSD-led or PSD-participating governments.

Abrudean said that if the government proceeds with assuming responsibility, the coalition would need to vote down the existing bill in the Senate plenary. “The solution is clear, we are waiting for the coalition’s decision,” he told G4Media.ro.

Fenechiu also stated that the way forward would be to reject the earlier bill. “If the coalition’s decision is to assume responsibility, then the coalition must organise an extraordinary session of the Senate and reject the old project initiated by the former coalition leaders,” he said.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea)