The autumn of social discontent
Romania is angry at the fiscal measures that the government has introduced in order to reduce the record-large budget deficit
Sorin Iordan, 19.11.2025, 14:00
The end of this autumn sees rekindled social discontent in Romania. The country that recorded the largest deficit in the European Union in 2024 (9.3% of GDP) is now making strenuous efforts to cut squander and streamline its spending, while also keeping its economy on an upward trend.
But the measures taken by the government since this summer to address the fiscal balance, as well as the measures about to be announced, are causing dissatisfaction among people. In education, the main trade union federations have announced fresh protests in front of the relevant ministry’s headquarters. The discontent expressed in recent months with the austerity measures introduced in the summer, including, for example, a 6% cut in teachers’ incomes, is now compounded by the anger triggered by the government’s plans to make new spending cuts and staff downsizing in the public system, as part of a 3rd set of measures. Unions believe the new cuts would not only be ill-timed, but also deeply unfair, with serious consequences for the education system.
The leaders of the ruling coalition parties (the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, Save Romania Union and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania) have promised, however, that they will take into account the fact that in some areas, such as public education, austerity measures have already been implemented. Such measures include increasing the teaching workload in public education, reducing hourly pay and the number of scholarship beneficiaries.
As a result, the government decided that the new spending cuts would be only 4% in education, so as to reach the 10% rate planned for the 3rd fiscal set.
The document, which should be completed this week, also provides for staff downsizing in local and central administration, as well as salary and bonus cuts in the defence and interior ministries.
Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said that local administration downsizing will be gradual, and the number of employees will depend on the number of inhabitants living in each administrative unit. Still, thousands of people will lose their jobs. In addition, as of January 1, 2026, local taxes and taxes on real estate and vehicles will increase.
In this context, 4 trade union confederations have announced that in December they will organize a large-scale protest in front of the Presidency head offices, to demand that the country’s president, Nicuşor Dan, meet his obligations and mediate between the government and citizens.
The unions accuse the government of unwillingness to engage in social dialogue and to start a real consultation with citizens regarding the austerity measures taken. They argue that, since October, tens of thousands of workers have protested against the measures introduced by the government, which, according to them, are ineffective with respect to economic recovery and reducing the budget deficit, but have a direct and severe impact on the people. (AMP)
