A new scandal in the joint budget committees: Meeting suspended twice because the PSD amendment regarding the one-time aid for pensioners did not pass - UPDATE

The meeting of the joint budget-finance committees, which aimed to discuss the budget project, was suspended on Wednesday in Parliament, twice during the day, after the emergence of a new political blockage in the governing coalition, following the failure of the amendment regarding the social aid package proposed by the PSD.

Representatives of the PSD and those of the PNL and USR argued on Wednesday in the joint budget-finance committees of the two Chambers, where the state budget project for 2026 is being debated.

PSD parliamentarians left the room on Wednesday afternoon where the meeting of the joint budget committees was taking place after the vote on the PSD amendment for a one-time aid for pensioners sparked a scandal. The Liberals argue that the social aid package did not pass, given that the parliamentarians AUR were present but did not vote, while the social democrats claim that it passed.

HotNews reports that after Bogdan Huțucă, the PNL president of the Budget-Finance Committee in the Chamber of Deputies, announced that the PSD amendment was not validated, the social-democratic representatives chose to leave the meeting. Daniel Zamfir, the leader of the PSD senators, announced that he would no longer participate in the debates until the vote is clarified.

The PSD amendment to the budget of the Ministry of Labor, which includes measures from the social package worth 1.1 billion lei, was not voted by AUR, but was supported by UDMR. More specifically, 23 senators and deputies from PSD, UDMR, and PACE voted "for", one abstained, the 8 parliamentarians from AUR chose not to vote, and 19 voted "against".

Around 3:00 PM, PSD parliamentarians returned to the committee, and the meeting resumed. The committee members first voted on whether to submit the rejected PSD amendment for a new vote, then rejected the amendment again.

The members took a break until 6:00 PM, while coalition leaders sought a solution in Sorin Grindeanu's office to get out of the deadlock.

Read also:

Failed negotiations AUR-PSD / What led to the voting blockage for pensioners' aid in the joint budget committees

PSD threatens that it will not vote for the budget after the amendment regarding aid for pensioners failed in the joint committees / What the Minister of Labor says