CNS Cartel ALFA: Romania needs a president committed to the entire society

The unions accuse that civic and social dialogue has “been systematically ignored” during the mandates of former President Klaus Iohannis. “Over the years, the presidency has become increasingly opaque, increasingly disconnected from the needs and voices of the many. Social dialogue and civic dialogue, instead of being cultivated, has been systematically ignored,” reports CNS Cartel ALFA.

The unionists accuse that there was “no real concern for meetings with unions, civil society organizations or employee representatives,” even during periods of crisis or stability.

According to the cited source, the situation did not improve during the interim term of President Ilie Bolojan. The trade unionists accuse that there were meetings with the business environment, without the trade unions or workers’ representatives being invited.

The trade unionists refer to the meetings of the Presidential Administration with companies such as Concordia, the Foreign Investors Council, AmCham, OMV Petrom or the Commercial Banks.

„The social partners are represented by the two sides of the industrial relationship: workers and employers, represented by trade unions and employers’ associations, respectively. The exclusion of a part of the social partners from such strategic discussions is not only a protocol error, but a political decision with serious effects on social cohesion”, the trade unionists draw attention.

Through dialogue, the president can offer a solution to the current crisis, marked by a high budget deficit, a large trade deficit, an accelerated increase in state interest payments (+84% in Jan-Feb 2025 compared to the same period last year) and an increase in the price of debt, the cited source shows.

„The current economic crisis will not be solved through blind cuts and austerity. These policies, repeatedly promoted by past governments, have only deepened inequalities, reduced the level of public services and demobilized the state’s most valuable resource: its people”, say the unionists.

Cartel ALFA expresses its total willingness to work with the future Presidency to transform these principles into concrete policies, for the benefit of all workers.

„Romania needs a balanced president. Not a president just for investors, but a president for all citizens. (…) A real leader understands that the future of a nation is not built on monologue, but on dialogue, with all relevant actors in society. Romania needs a president who is present, lucid and committed to the entire society”, the unionists draw.