The former Minister of Justice, Monica Macovei, states that the expression "acquired rights" is an invention from her term, mentioning that salaries and pensions can be adjusted by the government.

Monica Macovei, former Minister of Justice between 2004-2007, claims on Facebook that the term "acquired rights" was created during her term to prevent the cutting of bonuses and the reduction of salaries and pensions. She states that governments and parliaments have the authority to modify salary policies, emphasizing that the independence of the judiciary does not rely on the size of salaries, but on the personal ethics of judges. Macovei criticizes the CSM's arguments regarding activity restrictions for judges, mentioning that many of them continue to work in law after retirement.

She also reminds that the reform of special pensions was initiated in 2010, but was subsequently canceled by the following governments. Macovei believes that the current government could modify judges' pensions again, emphasizing that reforms need to be implemented quickly. Finally, she warns that judicial decisions that led to bonuses for judges have affected the democratic balance and created a constitutional imbalance in Romania.