site.btaRomanian Parliament Adopts 2025 Budget After Seven-Hour Debates

The Romanian Parliament adopted the state budget for 2025, with 254 votes in favour and 192 votes against, local media reported. This happened after seven hours of debates on Wednesday evening. The new financial framework envisages economic growth of 2.5% and a budget deficit of 7% of gross domestic product (GDP).

Finance Minister Tanczos Barna said that conditions have been met to support the country’s development through record investments, the resources to ensure the payment of salaries and pensions, and restore the balance in the country’s finances.

He described it as “thrifty” and “balanced” and stressed that its implementation will keep costs under control and generate the necessary revenue for development.
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Thursday this budget contains the largest allocation of European funding since Romania's accession to the European Union (EUR 17.5 billion). He added that he will put enormous pressure on every minister and public authority to spend all this money. 

When preparing the financial framework for 2025, the value of the so-called pension point, or the base on which pensions are calculated, which in Romania is RON  2,032 (BGN 799 ), the increase in the average gross salary to RON 8,620 (BGN 3,448 leva), reducing the number of registered unemployed to 250,000 people by the end of the year and reducing the registered unemployment rate to 3.1% by the end of 2025.

However, MPs from the Save Romania Union voted against, claiming that the budget is unrealistic, with inflated revenues, only to cover the continued embezzlement of public money, while Romanians are condemned to poverty.

In information also sent to the BTA editorial office, Save Romania Union specified that they had submitted 401 amendments to stop the waste of public money and instead allocate funds to essential areas such as education, healthcare and the environment, as well as to support entrepreneurs and vulnerable social categories.

Unfortunately, the Social Democratic and National Liberal Parties rejected all of the Save Romania Union's amendments, the party stated.