Boc pledges responsibility, Opposition files motion of censure

Premier Emil Boc last night pledged Government’s responsibility for the two law drafts on cutting budget spending, to result in 2 billion-euro savings, while the Opposition announced it was filing a motion of censure to cancel the 15% and 25% cuts of the pensions and salaries of the public sector employees.

The Government has repeatedly said since the beginning of the last week that these steps are necessary to contain the budget deficit to 6.8% as negotiated with the International Monetary Fund, so that it could receive its money from the Fund and from the EU to avoid default. This was the message the Premier reiterated before the Parliament yesterday.

“Unless we pass these laws, Romania will default and we will no longer be able to pay pensions and salaries. Anyway, even with these measures in place, we will still need to borrow 3 billion euros from the domestic or foreign market until the end of the year,” Boc said before the Parliament.

He pointed out in his speech that the pension and wage raises of the last few years had only been given for electoral reasons, and accused the liberal government of having used the money from BCR’s privatisation to refinance the 5.4% deficit.

The Government agreed to only five minor amendments made by MPs to the law drafts on cutting state spending and pensions.

Before Boc took the floor, PSD leader Victor Ponta asked him to not pledge responsibility ‘in vain’, and after the Prime Minister finished his speech, deputy Anca Vasile announced the social democrats had filed a motion of censure titled ” Stop social genocide” whereby they demanded the Government to resign. PNL announced it would back PSD’s motion.