The president of the Democrat Party of Moldova (PDM) Marian Lupu will put forward a legislative initiative suggesting considerably reducing the pensions of the head of state, MPs and ministers by modifying the retirement conditions. In a news conference on February 17, Lupu said he will discuss the issue inside the Alliance for European Integration and will then table a legislative initiative providing for the modification of the retirement conditions to the Parliament. He says state functionaries' pensions should constitute 42% of the salary, as for the other employees, not 75% as now. According to Lupu, the salaries of the high-ranking officials are several times higher than the average salary in economy and their pensions are 8-9 times larger than that of most of the pensioners, owing also to the benefits they enjoy. The President of Moldova has a salary of 9,600 lei, the Head of Parliament – of 8,800 lei, the deputy Speaker – of 8,000, the MPs – of 7,100 lei, while the average salary in economy in 2009 was 2,748 lei. Lupu said that most of the former MPs and ministers receive a pension of more than 6,400 lei, while 2/3 of the pensioners live on a pension of 500-900 lei. “It looks as if the political elite solved its salary and pension related problems. It turned into a certain caste,” Lupu said, adding that if the concessions are canceled, the political class will be more interested in improving the living standards. Marian Lupu also said that if the amendments are accepted, MPs' pensions will be by about 3,000 lei lower. He stressed that the pensions paid now to about 240 former senior officials will remain unchanged.