Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Monday that he does not regret any of the measures taken to increase pensions, salaries or to grant extra money to keep energy bills unchanged, maintaining that he "did justice" for millions of people and helped the economy through "major" investments.

"The European Commission's last official forecast in November, as well as the December data from the National Commission for Strategy and Prognosis were much more pessimistic than the experts' expectations. The situation deteriorated at an accelerated pace in most EU countries, starting in the second half of October, and this could not have bypassed Romania. We already have a high deficit this year because spending was 69 billion RON higher, namely 3.92% of GDP, than what was provided for in the budget. However, no erson of good faith can criticize that we have increased pensions twice and eliminated inequalities for 3.8 million pensioners or that we have increased the salaries of teachers, police officers, doctors or the military," Ciolacu said at the beginning of the government meeting.

He added that money has been granted to keep energy and gas bills unchanged and for health and infrastructure, emphasizing that he does not regret any of these measures.

"No one can dispute that we had to grant extra money to keep energy and gas bills unchanged for the population and the economy, that we increased funds for health or that we made record investments in infrastructure. All the loans were to build motorways, schools, hospitals and to pay off old debts. I would like to announce that I do not regret any of these measures, because we have done justice for millions of people and we have helped the economy through major investments," the prime minister explained. AGERPRES (RO - author: Alina Novaceanu, editor: Claudia Stanescu; EN - editor: Simona Iacob)