PNL's Citu: It is draft law on possibility of retiring at the age of 70, voluntary, not compulsory system

Chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Florin Citu declared on Wednesday that the draft law on the possibility of retiring at the age of 70 proposes a voluntary system, not a mandatory one, Agerpres reports.

"It's a draft law. I don't think it was understood, it was about a voluntary system, if someone wants to continue working and in this way to contribute to have a higher pension, because a motivation system is created, so if you work, the state contributes, it helps you with the contributions and then you will have a higher pension. It was about a voluntary system, not a mandatory system. (...) When we have a pension draft law, a wage draft law and a public administration reform draft law, we can talk about them. Now we are discussing principles and if it is just about principles and we go back to re-discussing about the PNRR [National Recovery and Resilience Plan], only the Government can do this," said Citu, in the Senate, in reference to the draft law on banning the collection of both pension and wage in the public system and the possibility of retirement at 70 years.

He emphasized that the PNRR "means reform, it does not mean raising pensions".

Social Democratic Party (PSD) spokesperson Radu Oprea says that the retirement age cannot be raised in Romania because life expectancy has decreased and the healthy life expectancy is "incomparably lower" than in the European Union.

He pointed out that the causes leading to a reduced life expectancy must first be resolved and only then can the raising of the retirement age be considered.

"And you don't play with statistics (even if it's an average). Healthy life expectancy in Romania is incomparably lower than in the European Union. Let's focus first on solving the causes that lead to these sad realities, the lack of food and a healthy life due to poverty, difficult working conditions and then let's talk about raising the retirement age. Otherwise, only very few Romanian citizens will benefit from the pension," said Radu Oprea.