Romanian PNL leader Ilie Bolojan backs salary law reform tied to EU funds

The National Liberal Party (PNL) held a meeting with the main trade union confederations to discuss the draft "law on unified salary" for the public sector. Party president Ilie Bolojan said PNL will vote in Parliament for the version agreed with the European Commission, a reform required by Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) to unlock European funding.

The revised draft, published by the Labour Ministry, keeps the ratio of the lowest to highest public‑sector salary at 1 to 8 and proposes a reference salary of 4 100 lei for 2027. It also raises the upper limit for EU‑project bonus payments for local officials from 20 % to 40 % and allows temporary hiring for project implementation.

Union representatives and some parliamentary officials have expressed criticism, claiming the draft relies on World Bank documents and lacks transparency. Deputy Adrian Câciu (PSD) warned that the text is being kept secret and questioned its performance‑based bonus provisions. The law remains a key step for Romania to meet a critical PNRR milestone and access EU funds.