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| The President’s Address to Parliament |
| (2012-03-08) |
| Last updated: 2012-03-09 13:10 EET |
Although snubbed by the Social-Liberal opposition, which continues their parliamentary strike, Romanian president Traian Basescu addressed Parliament on matters of home policy. Some of the issues tackled are not entirely new, and refer to making more jobs available, reforming the healthcare sector, the administrative and territorial reorganization of the country and introducing a single-chamber Parliament.
First and foremost, the president called on the government and the ruling coalition to find the resources necessary to bring back public salaries to the level of June 2010, when they were slashed by 25% against the backdrop of the financial crisis. In January 2011, public sector salaries reported a 15% increase. President Basescu insisted salaries had to be made whole again by June 1st:
Traian Basescu: “I am confident that the parliamentary majority, and, why not, the opposition, together with the government, the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister can look at the state budget in its current form, and, without cutting investment, but curtailing other areas of the budget, will be able to come up with the funding so that at the end of your parliamentary term in office you may tell public sector employees their salaries have been restored to the level they had when you took office”.
A month ago, the president said there was no money available to increase salaries and pensions, thus sanctioning the populist statements of certain members of the ruling coalition. The president’s 180-degree change of policy hasn’t passed unnoticed. Economic analysts say the budget deficit, in addition to economic growth estimates, rule out any rise in salaries and pensions this year. For this reason, Traian Basescu’s request may be interpreted as an attempt to win back some of the voters ahead of this year’s local and legislative elections. The opposition seems to share the same view and has accused Traian Basescu for acting in an unconstitutional manner and acting on behalf of the government. National Party leader Crin Antonescu:
Crin Antonescu: “It is not up to the president to increase or decrease salaries, and, as a result, I refuse to comment on his statement, which oversteps the boundaries of the Constitution. There are certain people who only think about themselves, who rule on their own, who dismiss any dialogue whatsoever and answer to no one. Whenever they feel like it, these people give a penny or two to whomever they want. This is not democracy, this is not market economy, it is unacceptable and, I repeat, plainly and simple, my political message is either they go or we go”.
In theory, no one is opposed to restoring public sector salaries to the level prior to 2010, should the budget allow it. However, there is one impediment to this move, namely a law that forbids any increase in salaries and pensions within 6 months of elections.
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