Coalition postpones decision on extending food price cap for one week – sources

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan asked for a week’s delay, arguing that this is a new topic that requires thorough examination of the presented documents and further data collection.

This request followed the PSD’s presentation of a document indicating that removing price caps on basic foodstuffs would result in higher inflation, according to political sources cited by MEDIAFAX.

Additionally, Bolojan noted that an emergency ordinance could not be adopted this week regardless.

The UDMR firmly supported the extension of price caps on basic foodstuffs, while the PSD expressed no objection to delaying the decision.

Consequently, a final decision will be made next week after the governing partners assess the implications and structure of the proposed normative act. The price cap on commercial markups for basic foodstuffs, implemented by the government in June 2023, successfully reduced inflation from 18% to 1.1% and protected the purchasing power of low-income Romanians. The PSD warns that lifting this measure could lead to price increases and heightened social tensions, as stated in the PSD document reviewed by MEDIAFAX.