Donald Tusk and his previous team were responsible for extending the retirement age. They have done it once before. Today they have an excellent alibi in the form of the strict measures imposed on Poland by the European Union, says former Minister of Labour and Social Policy Elżbieta Rafalska in an interview with the website DoRzeczy.pl.
DoRzeczy.pl: Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, Minister of Funds and Regional Policy, stated directly that the discussion on the retirement age must be taken seriously. How do you evaluate these words?
Elizabeth Rafalska: I think the minister is implementing a plan step by step. It is slowly and consistently preparing Poland for a longer retirement age or equalization of the retirement age for women and men. This is clear from her words. I do not think she could make such remarks without the approval of the prime minister or a greater authorization. We know that Donald Tusk and his previous team were responsible for extending the retirement age. They have done it once before. Today they have an excellent alibi in the form of the strictness that the European Union has imposed on Poland. Therefore, I believe that such statements help Poles to familiarize themselves with possible future decisions.
The minister points out that everyone should work as much as possible.
Nothing stops this. After the changes that the PiS government has made at the request of the president, everyone can choose whether to continue working or to retire. The decision is the citizens’, it is not imposed by the state, there is no compulsion to work until people often can no longer work. Today, the warning that Law and Justice has been issuing for a long time is coming true: there will always be some justification for returning to the old regulations. We can expect that Donald Tusk’s government will strive to extend the retirement age.
The minister indicates that the elderly should be taught computer skills, for example, so that they can work longer. Is this really the case?
This is the perspective of looking through the prism of large cities and people who work in public administration or are management staff. These people can do their job despite age restrictions. However, there are many professions that are difficult to perform after the age of 60. A very important factor that distinguishes Poland from many EU countries is the so-called staying healthy. Here, the health of Poles is worse than the EU average. Not everyone can be retrained, especially when it comes to people who work in small towns. I also heard the minister’s statement in which she spoke about the inefficiency of the ZUS system and its possible collapse. So how come on the one hand there is so much concern, and on the other hand there is talk about the need to work longer? This all looks very irresponsible. We do not want forced retirement. Please remember what happened in France when the government tried to do this there. What were the protests? Perhaps they will happen in Poland too.
Source: Do Rzeczy
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
