Reform of magistrates’ pensions, constitutional
The draft reform on magistrates' pensions drawn up by the Bucharest government has been declared valid by the judges of the Constitutional Court
Corina Cristea, 19.02.2026, 14:00
After more than two months and five postponements, Romania’s Constitutional Court has validated the Bolojan government’s bill to reduce the pensions of judges and prosecutors and raise their retirement age to the standard level after a 15-year transition period. By a majority of six to three, the CCR judges rejected the referral made by the High Court of Cassation and Justice in this case, while the decision to reject the referral to the Court of Justice of the European Union was taken, according to judicial sources, by a majority of seven to two. The decision is final and binding, and the bill has been sent to the presidency for promulgation.
Dissatisfied, the members of the Superior Council of Magistracy believe that the new legislative framework on retirement will have serious effects on the functioning of the judicial system, risks causing people to leave the system, and makes the profession of magistrate unattractive to new generations of legal professionals. In a press release, the Council’s representatives once again complain about the shortage of magistrates and the large volume of cases, as well as the impossibility of recruiting staff—issues which they claim are being ignored by the other branches of government.
The judges of the Bucharest Court of Appeal agree. They argue that the government chose to reconfigure the constitutional architecture by upsetting the balance between the powers of the state, the only mechanism that acted as a filter against the abuse of power. The political class, however, welcomes the CCR’s decision. President Nicuşor Dan said it was a gesture of fairness and assured all judges and prosecutors that their work is respected and their importance in the architecture of the state is fully recognized. Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan also welcomed the Constitutional Court’s decision, and Justice Minister Radu Marinescu expressed his hope that stability and normality would be ensured in the status of every profession.
The leaders of the governing coalition spoke about social justice and the need to eliminate privileges, but also about reducing the risk, considered until recently imminent, that Romania would lose European funds that depended on this long-delayed reform. The EU executive has officially announced that it has taken note of the CCR’s decision, but is still assessing whether to release the 231 million euros from the NRRP, money that is conditional on the reform of magistrates’ pensions. In Bucharest, the Minister of Investment and European Projects, Dragoş Pîslaru, promised that he would take all necessary steps to ensure that this money is not lost. (MI)
