Ruling Social Democrat Party (PSD) has come up with a new controversial idea, tabling a draft bill that compels Romanians to pay a special allowance to provide financial aid to their old parents, grandparents or great grandparents. The law also says any denial to pay will be punished even with prison.
The idea is the more controversial as Romanians are paying their social contributions to the pension system so that the state would provide a monthly pension when they are old, this is the essence of welfare system.
According to a draft bill initiated by several PSD MPs, adult children, who are fit for work, are compelled to take care and provide financial support for the parents and grandparents in need or who need financial aid. More precisely, adult children will have to pay a second, support pension to their old parents up to one fifth of their monthly income. Unless they do that, adult children can go to prison up to 3 years or pay fines.
The initiators explain the law, blaming the migration, namely the youngsters who left and are still leaving Romania.
“The big migration of the young work force in Romania to western Europe, particularly after Romania joined the European Union, has an incalculable economic, social and human impact, with the negative effects already in place, particularly on old people, who lack the support and affection of their children or grandchildren”, the draft law argues.
The bill has been tabled in the Senate, and is called “The law of the gratitude among generations”. It is practically regulating the legal, moral and financial reports between children and parents, children and grandparents and great grandparents in the same family.
The bill establishes the parents’ rights and obligations to raise and provide education to their children and it argues, in exchange, children must show respect and reward to their parents and grandparents.
The draft law also stipulates that “in exception cases (serious disease and handicap, mutilation or other disability of the parents), adult children can be compelled by the court to provide additional revenues to the parent in need”.
The initiative has been slammed by social and business actors. “Is the public pension or social assistance system bankrupt? The initiative is coming after all from Social-Democrat politicians. It could mean that the Romanian state has not capacity to provide pensions anymore, or that it is exonerated from providing social assistance and this is contradicting with the essence of the Social-Democrat doctrine of the PSD”, said Lucian Croitoru, adviser of the central bank governor.