New, Liberal Romanian PM Ludovic Orban claimed on Thursday he was a "simple man" with an "austere" living to explain how he managed to live on little more than 3,000 lei (some 650 euro ) per month last year, while his wife did not state any income at all. He made the statement after the figures appeared in the wealth statement he has submitted.

Ludovic OrbanFoto: Agerpres

In it, he has said he only earned 37,000 lei in 2018 (some 3,000 lei/month).

Ludovic Orban, who has not run in the last general elections in 2016, has long been a prominent politician. He now said he lived on the income he received for having served in public office and that, when he did not receive any income, he did not ask for unemployment assistance.

No land, apartment or house appear in his wealth statement with the exception of a holiday home acquired in 2014 and a Volkswagen car bought in 2007.

Ludovic Orban took over as prime minister of the new Liberal government in November.