Bolojan attacked by subordinates: budget raises questions about economic realism

The unionists have published a press release criticizing the government’s draft budget, which they consider „an exercise in accounting optimism paid for by the population.” In addition, the union members believe that „the draft state budget law for 2026 proposed by the government led by Ilie-Gavril Bolojan raises serious questions about the economic realism and legal responsibility of the budget structure.”

„The budget law is not an accounting table or an image exercise, but the main instrument through which the state transforms economic forecasts into legal obligations and real limits on public spending. That is why the first condition of a budget is realism. From this point of view, the draft for 2026 starts with a major vulnerability: questionable macroeconomic foundations. The government is building the budget on the assumption of a nominal GDP of approximately 2,045 billion lei, real economic growth of only 1%, and budget revenues of approximately 736.5 billion lei. In an economy that has recently performed below its own official forecasts, this budgetary architecture seems more like an exercise in accounting optimism than a responsible construction by a prime minister,” SAALG said.

Trade unionists also argue that „statistically cosmetically enhanced figures do not solve the fiscal imbalance” and criticise the decline in private consumption and „dependence on European funds”.

„More seriously, the draft budget contains an obvious internal contradiction. The government admits that fiscal consolidation measures will hit private consumption, but continues to rely on investment and exports as engines of growth. Given the current state of the Romanian economy (high energy costs, pressure on the business environment, and massive dependence on European funds), this combination seems impossible. The budget states that investments will save economic growth, but it does not demonstrate that these investments have the financing, administrative capacity, and realistic implementation schedule to do so. Excessive dependence on European funds may generate uncertainty regarding the realization of planned public investments,” SAALG said.

At the same time, trade unionists criticize the government’s optimism regarding revenue collection and the „philosophy of distributing the budgetary burden.”

„The analysis of the draft shows that the fiscal adjustment falls disproportionately on the population, eroding real incomes, while the area of tax breaks and tax expenditures is not reassessed with the same severity. The sacrifice is demanded almost exclusively from the population. Public sector wages remain frozen, pensions remain frozen, allowances remain frozen, the minimum wage is blocked, and the real incomes of Romanians are falling for the second consecutive year. The prime minister, who never explains why he is giving up revenue through exemptions and incentives, only returns to the people when he comes up with another formula to ask them for yet another sacrifice,” added SAALG.

Trade unionists are dissatisfied with the growing public debt and interest expenses.

„In its current form, the draft proposed by the Bolojan government risks becoming a budget of statistical optimism and social austerity, built on fragile assumptions and the sacrifice of a population that is seeing its income diminish,” SAALG representatives said.