BUCHAREST, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Romania's broad coalition government survived a no-confidence vote on Monday over a second attempt to raise the retirement age for judges and prosecutors and cap their pensions, but the top court could still strike down the bill later this month.
The Constitutional Court rejected an earlier version of the bill in October.
A second failure could weaken the fragile four-party coalition, which took office six months ago and wants to reform judicial pensions to meet conditions for accessing European Union recovery and resilience funds.
COALITION STRUGGLES TO AGREE CUTS
The government plans to gradually raise the retirement age for judges and prosecutors to 65 from about 50 over 15 years and cap pensions at 70% of final salary. Judicial pensions can reach 5,000 euros ($5,830) per month, compared with an average Romanian pension of around 600 euros.
The court, which has a history of blocking pension cuts, will rule on the latest challenge on December 28.
The coalition has now survived six no-confidence votes since taking power, mostly over tax hikes and spending cuts aimed at reducing the EU's largest budget deficit and preserving Romania's investment-grade rating.
But with the 2026 budget plan delayed until end-January, the ruling parties are struggling to agree further cuts.
The leftist Social Democrats, the largest party and key to maintaining a pro-European majority, have threatened to quit unless Liberal Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan agrees to raise the minimum wage next year.
They have also demanded the dismissal of Environment Minister Diana Buzoianu over a water supply shortage earlier this month. Buzoianu, from the junior centre-right Save Romania Union, is reforming the ministry’s forestry and water agencies, long seen as politicised.
The no-confidence motion over judicial pension reform comes amid street protests after hundreds of judges and prosecutors alleged systemic abuses in the justice system.
(Reporting by Luiza Ilie. Editing by Mark Potter)
