POLAND: Pensions And EU Requirments Roil Politics.

NYTIMES/
Joining the EU and raising the retirement age are two big reasons for the political struggles between Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Lech Kaczynski in a coming election. To lower deficits required by the EU, the government must raise the age Poles when can qualify for a pension from 64 for women and 65 for men to 67 for both, politically unpopular measures. But pension debt has grown to 13 percent of Poland’s GDP. By 2050, more than 63% of Poles will be over 65 years of age. And its annual budget deficit may reach at least 5% of G.D.P. this year, well above the E.U.’s limit of 3%.