The government of Romania must pay RON 16 billion (over EUR 3 billion or some 1% of GDP) to judges and prosecutors following a dispute and the salary retroactive reclassification of the "Justice" occupational group, the Ministry of Finance estimates in a document consulted by Cursdeguvernare.ro.

The required amount is larger than what the government expects to derive in 2023 through the fiscal corrective package (RON 10 billion or some EUR 2 billion). It comes from salary increases that the judiciary system awarded itself in court, in a litigious phenomenon that is growing exponentially and swallowing ever-larger chunks of the state's personnel expenses.

The mechanism for increasing the salaries of the justice through lawsuits must be stopped urgently, Finance Ministry experts demand, warning that otherwise it will lead to "exorbitant payment amounts, and finally the impossibility of bearing the budgetary expenses generated by the lawsuits".

iulian@romania-insider.com

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