Romania’s top judge says she and her colleagues are under ‘huge pressure over ‘special pensions’ for magistrates which cost the government hundreds of millions of euros every year.
If Romania keeps the special pensions for magistrates, it risks losing 231 million of EU money.
Romania’s government has a draft law which will reform the pensions. Key changes include capping pensions at 70% of the final net salary and gradually increasing the retirement age to 65 over 15 years, starting in 2026.
Magistrates will need at least 25 years of service, calculated as 55% of the average gross salary over the final 60 months of activity, with the 70% cap on the net income.
Justice Minister Radu Marinescu said the government was waiting for a vote from the Suprem Council of Magistrates to respond to the EU by a Friday deadline. The EU is conditioning a grant on reforming the pensions.
Reacting to the development, the Supreme Court judge Lia Savonea said: “We are witnessing a de facto elimination of special pensions”.
She said the Superior Council of Magistrates that she heads would give “a categorical vote against” it at a meeting later on Thursday. The vote is advisory only.
She told Digi24, that colleagues in he justice system see plans to reform the controversial pensions which allow magistrates to retire early and as “a huge pressure”.
“I can only tell you what I will do, I will give a categorical vote ‘against’ because we are witnessing a de facto elimination of service pensions,” Savonea said.
Romania’s government is waiting for the vote which comes one day ahead of a loan from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. If Romania fails to eliminate the pensions, it risks losing 231 million euros.
