Kelemen Hunor: pension indexation must be applied from 1 January, in line with 2025 inflation

The UDMR president, Kelemen Hunor, told Euronews România that pension indexation is a legal obligation that can no longer be postponed. He recalled that the implementation of this provision had already been delayed for two years through government ordinances.

"Everyone agreed" to the indexation, Kelemen Hunor stressed, adding: "It can no longer be delayed, because both in 2025 and in 2026 there was and still is significant inflation, which is eating into purchasing power."

The UDMR leader believes that the pension increase must be carried out "as the law stipulates", based on the 2025 inflation rate, which he estimates at approximately 7.5%.

Nevertheless, Kelemen Hunor acknowledged that UDMR had not held discussions on this matter with either the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister, or the Labour Minister. "I don't know what to expect," he noted.

On the other hand, upon his investiture, Prime Minister Luca Niculescu had announced that pension indexation would not begin until 2027, "prudently and within the bounds of the deficit trajectory".

Position on the minimum wage and the pay legislation

Regarding the minimum wage, Kelemen Hunor said he does not support a hasty increase: "If you add more pressure before seeing what you are doing in the medium term, you cause damage." According to him, this discussion should only be revisited once next year's developments become clearer.

With regard to the pay legislation, the UDMR leader stated that adopting it through the government assuming responsibility does not represent "a trap", but noted that everything depends on the specific content of the law.