Polish plan sets 67 as retirement age

— Poland’s two governing parties agreed Thursday on a plan to raise the full retirement age to 67, though the prime minister had to accept a watering down of his pension overhaul to placate his junior partner.

The compromise is expected to quell questions about whether the ruling coalition can survive the disagreement over pensions. It also appears to avoid the need for a referendum on the issue, which would have resulted in likely defeat of any increase in the retirement age.

Polish law allows women to retire at age 60 and men at age 65. Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his Civic Platform party want to raise the retirement age to 67 for all Poles to reduce state spending and tackle government debt.

Those intentions have proven unpopular and even caused a rift in his coalition with the Polish Peoples’ Party, which supports greater welfare spending by the state.

Front Section, Pages 6 on 03/30/2012

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