"Our clear and firm position is that we cannot touch the minimum pension and that we have to protect these seniors with a small pension. In other words, we should fix a margin (...) and not enforce the measure below it. And that's because this category will end up in an unbearable state", Marko Bela told Romanian news agency Agerpres.

He appreciated that a progressive reduction in pensions would be preferable. He stressed that in the context of a painful measure, a real social protection is necessary.

"Nobody contests that, in the present moment, we are in a difficult situation and that we are forced to try and have radical changes addressing the actual budget. At the same time, the solution agreed with the IMF is being contested. I don't believe and I didn't believe that we could avoid these cuts, whether it's salaries or pensions, but, at the same time, I believe we have the duty to find solutions for those categories that, following these cuts, might end up in an unbearable situation. And I mean mainly small pensions", the UDMR leader said.