The scandal of special pensions returns in force: "decoupled from reality"

The controversial statement from the leadership of the Superior Council of Magistracy reignites the dispute about special pensions, deepening the gap between privileges and social realities in Romania. The Minister of National Defense, Ionuţ Moşteanu, publicly criticizes the statements of the President of the Supreme Council of Magistracy, Elena Costache, who described a pension of 11,000 lei as "small".

• A state with two-speed pensions

The discussions about the inequities in the pension system are not new, but they take on new valences in the context in which leaders of essential institutions seem to completely ignore the financial situation of a good part of the population. Minister Moşteanu draws attention to the fact that while the average pension in the general system is approximately 2,700 lei, in the magistracy it frequently reaches amounts of over 25,000 lei. Moreover, in the army, an average pension is estimated at 5,300 lei. The statement of the President of the Supreme Judicial Council, according to which a pension of 11,000 lei is insufficient, is, in the minister's opinion, proof that she is out of touch with reality: "I do not agree with the way she is totally disconnected from the realities of Romania. It seems that she does not understand how much money people live on. And, as an idea, the pension in the judiciary is somewhere around 25,000 lei, in the military system it is somewhere around 5,300 lei and in the general pension system somewhere around 2,700 lei. That's how things look."

• Independence of magistrates vs. social equity

Elena Costache justified the rejection of the reform package proposed by the Government - which provides for the increase in the retirement age to 65 and a ceiling of 70% of the net salary for pension - by invoking the independence of the judicial system. In a televised intervention, she stated that the independence of magistrates directly depends on the level of remuneration, including after retirement. This position was only "partially” understood by the Minister of Defense, who admitted that the state made "promises” to those who gave up benefits in exchange for a public career. But she stressed that, at this point, the proportions have become unsustainable and contradict the principle of social solidarity.

• Pension reform: a political and moral stake

In the context in which Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan and President Nicuşor Dan promote budget cuts, including in the area of special pensions, the reaction of the CSM is becoming a major obstacle to the reform. Costache clearly conveyed that the institution he leads opposes these changes, arguing that magistrates cannot have other sources of income and that reduced pensions would make them vulnerable. However, for a society in which millions of pensioners live on less than 2,500 lei per month, such positions are difficult to accept. Inequities in the system are no longer just a matter of public accounting, but one of moral justice, the minister argues.

• Where the social contract breaks

The fact that a high-ranking official considers a pension of 11,000 lei to be "small” undermines citizens' trust in the fair functioning of the state. In a country where hospitals are understaffed, schools are underfunded, and 1 in 3 children live in relative poverty, such statements are not only offensive, they shake the social contract to its foundations. It is not just about numbers - it is about a growing distance between the reality experienced by the majority of Romanians and the reality perceived by an elite that seems to have completely autonomously approached the society it is supposed to serve.

The crisis of special pensions is not simply a budgetary issue. It is a matter of principle. The reform of this system must be courageous, but also balanced, in such a way as to ensure the dignity of all professional categories without maintaining unfair privileges. And for such a process to be legitimate, it must be accompanied by public commitment, honesty and, above all, common sense.