Group in Romania advocates for a public vote on all-inclusive retiree benefits funded by taxes
News Article: Declic Petition Pushes for Referendum on Special Pension Reform in Romania
The Declic Community, a Romanian advocacy group, has launched a petition calling for a national referendum to address the issue of special pensions and promote fairness in the country's pension system. The petition, which has garnered approximately 90,000 signatures, demands that all pensions adhere to the contributory principle and have a uniform retirement age for all professions.
The petition highlights the significant disparities in the pension system, particularly in the case of magistrates. For instance, the average magistrate's pension is around 25,000 lei, more than eight times the public pension average of 2,811 lei. This discrepancy costs the Romanian state an estimated €3.5 billion annually, equivalent to 1% of the country's GDP.
Catalina Hoparteanu, coordinator of the We Want a Referendum campaign, emphasized the need for a transparent system where each pension reflects the real contributions of the beneficiary, regardless of profession or position. She stated that the petition aims to end pensions that deviate significantly from contributory principles and create costly disparities.
Declic believes that only a referendum initiated by the president can decisively address the issue by consulting the Romanian public directly. The petition also requests participation in government debates on the pension reform.
The petition does not specify new figures regarding the number of signatories, retirees receiving special pensions, or the cost of special pensions. However, it criticizes the proposed changes by the Ilie Bolojan government as insufficient to address the structural inequities in the pension system.
The highest special pension in March 2025 reached RON 43,072 (EUR 8,570) gross, but the petition does not provide specific figures for the proposed new pension amounts. The reform effort includes proposals to align magistrates’ retirement age to 65 and pensions to 70% of their last net salary, a proposal that is strongly contested by judges and prosecutors but is part of broader fiscal reform linked to the European Recovery Plan requirements.
In summary, the Declic petition seeks to promote equality and transparency in the pension system through a nationwide referendum, aiming to end pensions that deviate significantly from contributory principles and create costly disparities. The petition is a call for a fairer, more equitable pension system in Romania.
[1] Source: Declic Community Petition [2] Source: European Recovery Plan Requirements
The Declic Community's petition, centered around policy-and-legislation, calls for a nationwide referendum to address the issue of special pensions and promote fairness in Romania's pension system. This action represents a critical aspect of Romanian politics, aiming to end pensions that deviate significantly from contributory principles and create costly disparities.
