PSD goes to discussions at Cotroceni Palace
The PSD will go to the discussions from the Cotroceni Palace on the future governance and with a social-democratic vision, said the interim president of the Social Democrats, Sorin Grindeanu.
‘I asked my colleagues from the economic area, from the party, and from the financial area to prepare a set of measures. We, with this set of measures, will go to Cotroceni with concrete proposals and with our vision. We will present them to the president and, of course, we will present to the other parties who want to find out our proposals, « Grindeanu said on Monday, in an interview with Antena 1, asked what solutions PSD proposes to reduce the budget deficit.
He stressed that the PSD does not want ‘income reductions for Romanians’, asked if the social-democrats take into account the variant of VAT growth.
‘We had periods when some right -wing governments came and reduced the revenues of the Romanians, we will not be partners in this. There are things won by Romanians, there are things that we are not allowed to return, to return. And so, I think we can discuss, starting from these things, about measures that, some of them, fiscal … The world is avoiding talking about progressive tax. Let’s see, it may be a solution! I remained among the few countries in the European Union that speak of the unique share and have a unique share. I do not say that we have to go in one direction or another, but let’s talk with arguments on the table, for or against, ‘Grindeanu said.
About discounts of employees in the state apparatus, he said they can be made on the basis of an evaluation.
« Where it is … but not so, that I came to the minister, I do not know, in transport, let me give the ministry that I still run and so, after a week, I thought that 300 people without evaluation, without seeing if they did their job or not, » Grindeanu argued.
The leader of the social-democrats agrees that the expenses should be reduced, but also pointed out that the budget deficit increased after 2019 and pointed out the importance of investments.
‘We have to reduce expenses, I agree with you, but I would give you another answer. In 2019 we left the governance with deficit, in October or November, 2.7. And that was 2019. At the end of 2020, the deficit of Romania was over 9%, without making investments. During these years, in Romania we have also reached this deficit due to the fact that the biggest investments in the history of Romania have been made and the investments are from the Ministry of Transport. To make a deficit, which went, no one knows where, in those years, it is one thing. To arrive in a deficit area of almost 8% of GDP going in investments, it is something else. Therefore, I agree with what President Nicușor Dan said, that the next three or four weeks we have to stay with arguments, we must see very clearly what we have to do for the future years. Depending on what will be decided and PSD will go in one direction or another, « Grindeanu said.
The Social Democrats will come-according to him-with the political part of the discussions, after a governing program is approved, asked if the PSD would enter the new government.
‘I do not want to negotiate functions of ministers, state secretaries, agency directors, prime minister, what you said. Let’s first see the decisions and projects and programs and the direction in which we go and then find time for this part, « Grindeanu replied.
He gave assurances that the PSD does not run away from responsibility, but he wants to know the direction in which Romania will go: ‘I said and listed some of the red lines that we cannot pass, these things we will transmit. We will also go with solutions about how we see this economic sensitive moment ‘.
Grindeanu reiterated that the Social Democrats will not accept: ‘an underfunding to the local authorities’, ‘a possible decrease of the investment area in Romania’ and also ‘a possible decrease of the revenues of the Romanians’.
