The main part of the budget is support for the elderly, i.e. pensions. It will be allocated 34.18 billion lei, which is 66.5% of all expenditures – 11.2% more than in 2025.
PSRM MP Alla Daranova, member of the commission for social protection, health and family, pointed out the decreasing ratio of workers to pensioners: 1.2 workers to 1 pensioner. “We urgently need to create jobs, and the Labor Ministry should actively participate together with the Economy Ministry in this.”
Minister of Labor, Social Protection and Family Natalia Plugaru said that 811,000 workers with 665,000 pensioners pay contributions to the social insurance budget: “I agree, it is necessary to continue creating jobs and we are doing it through the measures of the Employment Agency combined with investments in the economy.”
The increase of the retirement age, according to her, is not considered: the process continues according to the current law – for men – 63 years, for women this age will be reached in 2028.
Former Minister of Labor and Social Protection, PAS MP Marcel Spatar congratulated the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection and the team of the National Social Insurance Fund for preparing the draft budget: “This is a more sustainable budget, while there are indeed demographic challenges. The number of pensioners in relation to the number of employed people is growing and the demographic pyramid shows that the pressure on the budget will only increase.”
Vladimir Odnostalco, PSRM deputy, vice chairman of the relevant parliamentary commission, described the budget as “generally balanced”: “The figures are approximately correct, but the priorities are completely wrong. Demographic policy, both financial and non-financial instruments should be prioritized”.
Natalia Plougarou emphasized that people are at the center of the budget: “Behind every figure of this budget there is a pensioner, a child who deserves a reliable start in life, a family in need of support or a person with disabilities who depends on our solidarity.
Revenues and expenditures of the state social insurance budget in 2026 will amount to 51.45 billion lei, 4.2% more than the refined figures for 2025. Pensions and social benefits will be indexed by 6.8% as of April 1, 2026.
Seventy-five MPs voted in favor of the draft state social insurance budget for 2026 in the first reading. Only deputies of the factions “Democrația Acasă” and “Alternative” did not participate in the voting – they did not vote for or against.
