The draft state budget for next year has been approved in its first reading by Parliament. According to the Ministry of Finance, the budget focuses on social support, reflecting the Government's clear vision to increase citizens' incomes and investments in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and social services. Opposition of members of Parliament (MP) criticized the process, accusing the Government of rushing the budget's adoption. They claimed the 2025 budget is anti-popular, anti-social, and serves only the ruling party's interests, IPN reports.
Finance Minister Victoria Belous stated in the plenary session that projected revenues for 2025 amount to 71.5 billion lei, a nearly 7% increase compared to 2024. Expenditures are estimated at 85.5 billion lei, with a deficit of 13.8 billion lei, or 4% of GDP.
"Solidarity with our people best defines this budget. Our resources are limited, especially due to the war near our borders. Yet, the Government ensures economic growth and a reduced budget deficit, which we estimate to remain at 4%", said Minister Belous.
Oleg Reidman, an MP from the Communist and Socialist Bloc, accused the Government of violating deadlines for drafting and presenting the budget. He argued that presenting unrelated data, as seen today, creates a false impression of a positive situation.
Communist MP Diana Caraman criticized the rushed approval process, which she claimed prevents thorough public scrutiny. "Teachers’ and doctors’ salaries increase by 10–15%, but judges and prosecutors who passed vetting will see increases of 40–100%", she noted. She called for a revision of the budget to allocate more funds for higher salaries for doctors and teachers.
Ersilia Qatrawi, an MP from the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), pointed out that in the past, state budget funds were distributed to local administrations based on political affiliation. "Today, we implement national programs accessible to all local public authorities", she said.
"The 2025 budget reflects not only responsibility but also our vision to transform local communities into engines of economic and social development. This budget reaffirms our firm commitment to support local autonomy and improve public services", Qatrawi added.
Another PAS MP, Marcela Adam, accused opposition MPs of staging performances. "They talk about the challenges the country and citizens face but ignore the real causes. They remain silent on how, during their time in power, in times of peace, they failed to raise citizens' incomes, indexed pensions at zero lei, and neglected salary increases or institutional modernization. They also don’t mention the theft of the billion during their tenure", Adam declared.
The 2025 state budget was approved in its first reading with 55 PAS votes. Opposition MPs either abstained or voted against it. The Socialists announced plans to submit amendments between readings.
