Mureșan plans parliamentary cuts, pension reform without new taxes

Designated Prime Minister Siegfried Mureșan has outlined his government program to the National Liberal Party (PNL) members of parliament, seeking to gain their support for a vote of confidence. His proposals include reducing the number of parliamentarians, aligning with the latest census data, though he did not specify the exact number of mandates to be cut.

Mureșan's program also aims to merge public agencies and institutions to decrease administrative costs and eliminate overlapping roles. A performance-based management system for state companies is proposed, where leaders would be evaluated based on results and contract indicators.

Reforming the special pensions system is a top priority in Mureșan's agenda. The proposal includes the elimination of pension-salary cumulation for public sector employees, requiring them to choose between receiving a pension or a salary. However, he did not provide specific details on the categories of special pensions or the legal framework for the reforms. Previous attempts by other governments faced constitutional challenges in this area.

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Regarding fiscal policy, Mureșan assured that there would be no new tax increases or VAT hikes, emphasizing that budgetary needs will be addressed by reducing state expenses, reorganizing institutions, and improving revenue collection. He highlighted the importance of the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) focusing on major fraud and significant revenue losses to the state.

Despite the ambitious plans, Mureșan faces a difficult path to securing a parliamentary majority. The PNL, together with the Save Romania Union (USR) and the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), lack the necessary votes. Both the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) have declared they will not support the current government formula.

Mureșan began presenting his program to potential supporting parties on Tuesday, meeting with PNL and USR MPs that day and planning to meet UDMR representatives on Wednesday. Following these negotiations, he must submit the list of ministers and the government program to Parliament, where ministerial candidates will be evaluated by specialized commissions before a parliamentary vote on the investiture.

For the government to be approved, a majority of 233 votes from deputies and senators is required. Mureșan has expressed his determination to proceed to the vote even without a guaranteed majority, reaffirming his commitment to the mandate given by President Nicușor Dan.