The budget equation with 1.3 million unknowns: Romania, as a share of the budget, has the fourth largest budget expenditure in the EU after tax havens such as Cyprus, Malta or Ireland. The expenditure on the salaries of budget workers has increased 10 times in the last 20 years, Ziarul Financiar announces.
Romania, as a share of the budget, has the fourth largest budget expenditure in the European Union, after tax havens such as Cyprus, Malta or Ireland. Salary spending increases, two months into the year, by 20%, although the budget foresees an 11% increase in personnel expenses in 2024. Romania has 1.3 million budget workers, of which 240,000 are teachers, 200,000 employees in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Defense and 280,000 employees in local public administration.
Ever since the end of last spring, the start of the season of strikes among budget workers, when the teachers started the biggest strike in the last 24 years. The teachers got almost everything they demanded – a 50% increase in salaries in 2024 and an increase in the salary of beginning teachers. Later, other categories of budget workers, such as police officers, magistrates or doctors, gained courage and threatened or started protests. At the same time, however, personnel expenses jumped higher by more than 5 billion lei, i.e. 1 billion euros in 2023, compared to the initial budget.
For 2024, the Marcel Ciolacu government, although threatened by strikes of budget workers from all sides, has budgeted an increase in spending on public salaries of only 11%. Barely two months of the year have passed and already expenses are increasing by 20%, almost twice as much as planned, according to the budget execution.
