President Dan: Romania, at turning point; only through social dialogue can we find appropriate solutions

President Nicusor Dan said he invited union representatives to the Cotroceni Palace on Monday for an open exchange of ideas on solutions to achieve fiscal balance.

"Romania is at a turning point, and the decisions we make now will set the direction of our country for the coming years. That's why it is essential for me, as president, to listen to the opinions and proposals of all involved parties. Only through social dialogue, a key pillar of a balanced society, can we find appropriate solutions that truly address people's needs. I will always support this type of communication - honest, direct, and results-oriented," President Nicusor Dan wrote on Facebook on Monday.

President Nicusor Dan on Monday met union representatives of Cartel Alfa, Blocul National Sindical, CNSLR Fratia, Meridian and the Confederation of Democratic Trade Unions of Romania (CSDR). Also attending the meeting were honorary advisor Dragos Anastasiu and Ioan-Radu Burnete, presidential advisor as of July 1.

Cartel Alfa Trade Union leader Bogdan Hossu said on Monday, after the meeting with President Nicusor Dan, that by June 20 an assessment would be carried out with the parties and employers' associations on the measures for reducing the budget deficit, adding that a full-fledged government would be invested by June 30.

"The president, as well as the presidential adviser underscored that among the measures to combat excessive deficit there were not any measures concerning health, education, public order, and that, at the same time, for the rest of the matters a joint assessment is being carried out - political parties, employers' associations, trade unions - to highlight or identify the problems that should bring money to the budget straight away and send out the credibility signal to the European Commission as well as to the international standard evaluators for Romania. A second important element is that the ECOFIN of [June] 20 will resume the report of June 4, and for the European Commission the deadline for submitting the schedule on excessive deficit compensation will be June 30, and by that date it is expected that a full-fledged government would be in place to do that. The second important promise is that the president said that there would be organised a meeting among employers' associations, trade unions, political parties on the respective measures, the short list, within which the lists in questions would be efficiently analysed among 12 or 24 persons to see which measures should be taken," Hossu explained.

He pointed out that following the talks at Cotroceni it was decided that the specialist working groups within ministries would also include trade union and employers representatives.

Asked when a full-fledged government would be in place, he said before June 30.

"Yes, because this week there still are talks among political parties and I have understood that next week we shall already have a government and, basically, the new full-fledged government would be in place before June 30," Hossu said.