Cseke Attila: Without a fully empowered government, Ambulance services and Emergency Reception Units will run out of funding by year's end

The interim Minister of Health, Cseke Attila (UDMR), declared on Wednesday, in Iași, that the country urgently needs a fully empowered government — the only one that can approve a budget rectification. He drew attention to the fact that county ambulance services and Emergency Reception Units (UPU) currently lack sufficient resources to cover all expenditure through to the end of the year.

According to Cseke, budget rectifications are usually carried out in July and August, or at the latest in September, but this year that has not happened due to the absence of a fully empowered government.

"It is 9 September and we have no budget rectification. We must have a fully empowered government to carry out this rectification. There needs to be a reallocation of state expenditure, whether upwards or downwards," he stated, as quoted by News.ro.

The Minister explained that, in his capacity as interim Health Minister, he had identified the need for a budget rectification to supplement funding allocated to county ambulance services and UPUs.

"I can tell you that we need a budget rectification to secure the funds necessary for the operation of county ambulance services and Emergency Reception Units through to the end of the year. The 2026 budget does not cover all expenditure," Cseke specified.

He emphasised that it is in Romania's interest for a fully empowered government to be installed as soon as possible, warning that otherwise there is a risk of "opportunistic majorities" emerging in Parliament to back various projects without any clear direction.

"A government that has a majority at the time of its investiture but subsequently loses it will face certain difficulties — but even that is better than the current caretaker situation," the Minister added.

At present, the Government is operating in a caretaker capacity, with limited powers, meaning it is unable to adopt a budget rectification.