Planned increase for top state positions
Finance Minister Adrian Gavrilita announced what he described as a “comprehensive reform of the public sector wage system,” which includes salary increases for senior officials such as the president and the prime minister.
According to the minister, it is necessary to adjust compensation for high-ranking positions due to their level of responsibility in decision-making.
“Very wrong to place people with such decision-making power and such an important role in the state in a position where they are barely able to cover their expenses. I will propose to solve this problem – whoever is president or prime minister,” Gavrilita stated.
Pay disparities in the public sector
The initiative, according to the minister, is driven by growing disparities within the public administration. He pointed to the fact that heads of regulatory agencies already receive very high salaries, in some cases exceeding 127,000 lei per month, while the president and prime minister earn significantly less.
Gavrilita also defended previous salary increases for regulatory officials, arguing that competitive pay is necessary to prevent qualified specialists from moving to the private sector.
“You can’t have low-paid staff regulating a well-paid sector, because there is a risk they will go to the private sector,” he explained.
Broader wage reform planned
The minister also noted that the upcoming reform will adjust salaries across the public sector, but not uniformly – some positions will see larger increases than others, depending on existing disparities.
He emphasized that the goal is to ensure “no one loses out,” while addressing accumulated imbalances in the system.
Public sector workers left behind
Meanwhile, teachers, doctors, and other essential public sector workers will remain on frozen wages. The base salary remains at 2,500 lei, without inflation indexation.
Critics argue that this effectively reduces real incomes, especially given rising living costs.
Education sector concerns
In December last year, education workers staged protests demanding salary increases. Teachers warned that frozen wages would reduce purchasing power and harm the attractiveness of the profession. However, the government did not adjust the base rate.
Political context
Earlier this year, the president also acknowledged imbalances in the salary system, noting that a significant share of presidential administration staff earns more than the head of state.
The new reform is expected to address these disparities, with implementation to be overseen by the Ministry of Finance.
