Nicușor Dan: Magistrates' pensions, a huge mistake by politicians. I am not satisfied with either the DNA or the General Prosecutor's Office. What he says about the new head of the SRI

The President of Romania, Nicușor Dan, held a press conference on Monday where he discussed important topics related to politics, justice, and the economy for over an hour and a half.

During the conference, the head of state explained the necessity of economic measures, including the increase in VAT, despite promising during the campaign that this would not happen.

Nicușor Dan stated that the austerity measures are temporary because Romania has economic potential. Regarding the increase in VAT, he declared that the government's commitment at the time of its investiture was that VAT would not increase.

He also mentioned that the political sphere made a "huge mistake" regarding magistrates who ended up receiving pensions higher than their salaries.

President Nicușor Dan also had a message to reassure prosecutors about their rights and urged them not to rush into retirement.

Accused by the Superior Council of Magistracy of delaying the appointment and retirement procedures of magistrates, Nicușor Dan emphasized his understanding of their work and explained why some requests were not approved.

Another important topic addressed by the president in the press conference was the amount received from donations in electoral campaigns.

Spotmedia.ro Broadcasted LIVE TEXT the Main Statements of President Nicușor Dan

Conferință de presă susținută la Palatul Cotroceni

Uita-te la acest video de pe YouTube

As I mentioned, I will regularly hold press conferences where I will address the current concerns of the administration and answer all your questions.
I want to convey that fiscal measures are temporary; Romania has economic potential.
I want to assure investors and financial markets that we are serious.
When the budget revision for 2025 comes, the presidential administration will propose a 20% budget reduction.
I have been frequently asked, "Why didn't you start with correcting privileges before implementing measures that affect everyone?" The answer is that there was time pressure from financial markets. The only thing that was credible to them was that revenues would increase.

About VAT

Regarding the VAT issue, which I'm sure you're interested in, the government's commitment at the time of its investiture was that VAT would not increase. We will have a reassessment at the beginning of October, before the Commission's evaluation on October 15, and at that time, we will see if the measures are sufficient or not. In order for Romania to get through this period without a VAT increase, a set of measures, discussions with the Commission, and the rating agency were needed, and this measure could have been postponed at this time.

Magistrates' Pensions

We will discuss magistrates' pensions in the second set of measures. It was a huge mistake by politicians when pensions became higher than salaries. The second mistake was that in recent years, in contrast to the obviously inappropriate situation that was created, there were populist messages that led many magistrates and prosecutors to retire. The quality of justice has declined in Romania.
Now, the important message, which is very firm in the magistrates' law at this moment, is that there is a transitory provision stating that individuals who meet the retirement condition at this moment will retain their rights as provided by law at this moment, in case they retire later.
What I strongly want to convey is that this transitory provision will remain in the amendment to the magistrates' law. My message is that all those who meet the retirement age at this moment should not rush to leave the system because this provision will remain in force.

Donations from Campaigns

Due to discussions about campaign and pre-campaign expenses, I have provided a breakdown. In the 2024 pre-campaign for local elections, we received donations of 1,750,000 lei and incurred expenses of 1,600,000 lei. The difference was 145,000 lei. Among the donors, Bogdan Micu contributed 250,000 lei, with 3,179 online donations. The total amount raised was 843,000 lei.
In the campaign for local elections, we spent 660,000 lei, the maximum amount allowed by law, for which I borrowed 480,000 lei. The sum was reimbursed by the electoral authority, and I repaid these loans.
In the 2025 pre-presidential campaign, donations amounted to 9,550,000 lei, while expenses were 7,000,000 lei. This resulted in a difference of 2.5 million lei in total donations less than the expenses we incurred in the pre-campaign. Online donations under 5,000 euros were 18,700 from 15,800 unique donors. The total amount raised was 6.5 million lei. Five individuals donated larger sums: Talpeș 805,000 lei, Aurel Iancu 500,000 lei.
In the election campaign's first round, we spent 20.5 million lei, for which we requested reimbursement. I borrowed 20.5 million lei from 111 individuals. The total expenses in the second round were 40.5 million lei, for which I borrowed 30 million lei.

Questions:

The SRI is currently under interim leadership. When will you make an appointment?

For the SRI, it will be done relatively quickly. We will see when parliamentary sessions are held because, as you know, I make proposals, and Parliament approves them.

Who convinced you that increasing VAT is a solution?

In the month before the appointment of the prime minister, I looked at a lot of financial data and had an informed discussion with the coalition and the designated prime minister, and that was the solution. As I have said before, for corrections to be made while keeping VAT at 19%, a complex set of measures needed to be taken. From the moment I appointed the government under this condition, all discussions and measures fell within the government's purview.

The CSM accuses you of delaying magistrates' retirement. When will you sign the retirement and appointment of magistrates?

I think they chose the wrong person to issue a press release against. I am one of the politicians who have been present in courtrooms, who understand that many work on Saturdays and Sundays, that the workload is often beyond one person's capacity. I understand that this public disgrace towards magistrates harms democracy. There are around 40-50 retirement requests that have reached me, and when they did, I saw that they were incomplete. I requested the files to be completed, which happened. I tried over the weekend but didn't have time; it's a matter of days before I sign them. It's not a war, a skirmish, it's an administrative issue. So, I believe the CSM should consider me as a partner.

Why did you send the anti-Semitism law to the CCR?

I've seen so many issues in the public space, and that's why I was chosen. It is a constitutional obligation of the president that for any law passed by the Chamber of Deputies, within 20 days, either to promulgate it or to send it to the CCR. I am not someone who approves of such manifestations. What happened with the threats against dozens of journalists in November? These are issues that the Romanian state must react firmly to. If we look at the content of the law, you will see that there are some extremely unclear matters. In Făgăraș, there is an association that promotes resistance in the Făgăraș Mountains. Among the resistance members are a few individuals who were part of the Legionnaire movement in the past. Does this association have a Legionnaire character or not? Because the law doesn't tell us. The law states that if you establish an organization with a Legionnaire character, you should go to jail. I don't think so. The law needs to be very clear.

Will you reduce your allowance?

As I said, we will reduce the Presidential Administration's budget by 20%. This means 20 million lei, much more than the 1,000 or 2,000 lei that I could reduce from my salary.

After the economic recovery, can some measures from the fiscal package be reconsidered?

Let's look at bonuses. There are around 200 bonuses that have been granted over time through various normative acts. It was not possible to conduct a complete analysis in 30-40 days. Romania needs a unified salary law where bonuses are transparently and justifiably integrated, and this law should not be modified for years.

What is your relationship with the government and Prime Minister Bolojan?

We are in politics, and each acts in the national interest as they see it. I will participate in discussions on reforms much less than I did before the government was formed. I have been very attentive to the magistrate issue because it's not a profession like any other. Many things in Romania depend on the quality of justice. From this war against magistrates, many people have left the system, and the quality of justice has declined. I am interested in how the discussion on special pensions will end.

You have stated that you have repaid the borrowed campaign funds. What will you do with the donation money?

For 2024, the AEP has fully reimbursed my expenses. I am waiting to see what will happen with the 62 million lei. In the hypothesis that they will be fully reimbursed, there will be 2.5 million lei remaining. I will consult, I would like these funds to be used to support civil causes. The social area has progressed a lot in recent years, it is more emotional to give for social causes, but my belief is that we also need to give for the civic area, which is suffering. We need to develop the civic cause a lot, associations that make requests for public information, to see why an authority derails. In the situation where the AEP reimburses the entire amount, this is the intention.

You mentioned that you have a truce with the SPP regarding a residence. Have you made a decision?

The truce has been extended. At the gates of the Orient, nothing is well defined. Another one, two months, we'll see, we'll look for alternatives.

Will you consult with the parties for the new head of the SRI? You mentioned that you want someone from civil society.

The proposal is made by the president and of course, being this delicate moment, I do not wish to play games, to propose people whom Parliament might reject. I will consult with the parties, but the appointment constitutionally belongs to the president. I have some individuals in mind, as they did for the Constitutional Court, I am still in the process of analysis.

Do you think you have lost the trust of Romanians after the unfulfilled promise regarding the VAT increase?

Let's see, as a politician, you are always evaluated by people. I hope that through everything I do, I will continue to have their trust. I believe it was a correct promise and all the analysis done before the Government's investiture was confirmed.

You mentioned that the budget of the presidential administration will be reduced by 20%. Does this mean that your salary will also be reduced?

For the moment, there is no such intention.

What will the Romanians who voted for you say when in April 2027, Sorin Grindeanu will replace Ilie Bolojan?

You always have to make decisions that respond to the society's interest. At this moment, the imperative for Romania in relation to financial markets was a stable government. I am very happy that the four parties understood the imperative. In politics, you always want many things, but the reality of the vote allows you to do more or less. The protocol signed by the parties provides for a rotation for the PSD, it does not specify a name. Let's reach 2027. We still have a long way to go.

Are you satisfied with the activity of the DNA and the General Prosecutor's Office under the leadership of Marius Voineag and Alex Florența?

I am not satisfied with either the DNA or the General Prosecutor's Office. There is no management that ranks the activities of the prosecutor's office by types of crimes and allocates appropriate resources. Each one has a mandate of 6-7 months. It is not useful to rush, but when the discussion about the new heads of the prosecutor's offices will arise, the analysis will be very serious. I will also consult with the political parties. I have started discussions about the Justice sector with people from the judiciary.

Do you not think that the amount allocated to parties is too high?

I think it is good for the state to finance electoral campaigns. We can discuss amounts, the 3% limit, but without such a provision, I would never have had 60 million lei. It is a good thing for parties and competitors to approach various people to ask for money. Regarding the annual subsidies for parties, I agree that there should be a reduction. Looking at how politics was before this law, I believe this law is correct. Before, there were bags of money coming to parties. The pressure on the central leadership of the parties was higher because the money came from the field. The party financing law had two advantages. It removed much of the black money and strengthened central power. The negative aspect was that many of these funds were used to buy media trusts that were no longer objective, and here we need to reflect a bit.