PNL argues that the ECHR decision confirms Ilie Bolojan’s position regarding the payment of magistrates’ outstanding salary arrears

PNL claims that the ECHR decision rejecting the complaints of several Romanian magistrates confirms former Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan’s position in the dispute with the High Court concerning the staggered payment of salary arrears. The ruling was handed down on Thursday by a panel of seven judges and declared the applications inadmissible as manifestly ill-founded.

The European Court took into account Romania’s economic and budgetary difficulties and the measures adopted to gradually pay the amounts established by court rulings. PNL states that the decision supports the responsibility of the Government and Parliament in managing public funds.

“The National Liberal Party thus notes the validity of the position of the previous Executive and considers that the ECHR decision strengthens the separation of powers in the state when it comes to the use of public funds. The ECHR confirms a principle that Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan consistently defended: decisions regarding the allocation of public resources belong to the Government and Parliament, not the courts,” the PNL statement reads.

The Liberals also cite the ECHR’s observations regarding the risk of conflicts of interest when magistrates rule on salary rights from which they themselves could benefit.

The domestic dispute concerns arrears estimated at approximately 4.8 billion lei. The Government argued that allocating the money falls within the remit of the Executive and Parliament, while the High Court requested that the funds be secured. The CCR declared Bolojan’s referral inadmissible, and the High Court subsequently won the case concerning the payment of the arrears with final effect. However, the ECHR ruling concerns exclusively the staggering of payments and does not annul the Romanian court’s decision.