Trade unions’ expectations from the future government
Romanian President Nicuşor Dan met with trade union representatives on Monday to exchange ideas on potential solutions to reduce the budget deficit of 9% of GDP.
Sorin Iordan, 17.06.2025, 14:00
The fiscal measures that the future government in Bucharest should pass to reduce the worrying budget deficit registered by Romania was the main topic of the talks that the country’s president, Nicuşor Dan, had on Monday with the leaders of the main trade union confederations. President Dan said that Romania was at a turning point, and the decisions to be taken during this period would chart the country’s direction for the coming years. The President stressed that, in this context, he found it necessary to listen to the opinions and proposals of all parties involved and that only through social dialogue can options be identified, options that truly meet people’s needs.
The leaders of Cartel Alfa, the National Trade Union Bloc, CNSLR Frăţia, Meridian and the Confederation of Democratic Trade Unions of Romania were present at Monday’s discussions with the President. After the meeting, the Cartel Alfa leader, Bogdan Hossu, said that by June 20, a joint analysis of the measures needed to reduce the deficit will be held, with the participation of political parties and employers. Bogdan Hossu: “The President said that he would hold a meeting with employers’ associations, trade unions and political parties on the respective measures. The shorter list of measures would be efficiently analyzed by 12 or 24 people, to see which of them should be taken. The working groups that were set up at the level of ministries will be expanded, to also include trade union and employer representatives.”
In turn, the leader of the CNSLR Frăţia, Leonard Bărăscu, proposed to the President that the burden of deficit reduction measures should fall on the shoulders of everyone, not just of certain social categories. Leonard Bărăscu: “We will not do it so that only some people pay, we will meet and then see from the big list what can and cannot be removed, which measures are acceptable, in order to be able to go a little further with them and avoid responding through forms of union protest, such as strikes.” Representatives of the National Trade Union Bloc also presented eight proposals for the sustainable reduction of the budget deficit. However, they firmly rejected arbitrary salary cuts and the introduction of taxes that they consider rudimentary.
Also on Monday, President Nicusor Dan had a meeting with the leaders of the pro-European parliamentary parties and of national minorities. However, neither that meeting resulted in an agreement on the measures aimed at reducing the deficit of 9% of GDP, although these should be presented to the European Commission by the end of the week, when the term of the interim government expires. Increasing the VAT or additional taxation of incomes exceeding a certain threshold are fiscal measures on which politicians still have divergent opinions. However, all parties agree on the need to reduce budget expenditure and maintain a high level of large investments. (EE)
