2023-08-12 13:25 update: 2023-08-13, 11:34
Photo PAP/Piotr Polak
Poles will be asked in the planned national referendum if they support raising the retirement age, a deputy leader of the ruling party Law and Justice (PiS) has announced.
Beata Szydlo unveiled the question in a video posted on social media on Saturday morning.
"The second question will be as follows: 'Are you in favour of raising the retirement age which today is 60 for women and 65 for men?'" she said.
In 2017, the PiS government decided to lower the retirement age to 60 years for women and 65 for men. Earlier, in 2012, the previous centrist government of the Civic Platform (PO), in coalition with the Polish People's Party (PSL), raised the retirement age from 60 to 67 for women and from 65 to 67 for men.
Commenting on the second referendum question, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki wrote on social media: "As promised, we have lowered the retirement age because we keep our word."
Saturday's video featured archival statements of the leaders of Civic Platform (PO), main opposition party. The then presidential candidate Bronislaw Komorowski said during a television debate in 2010: "There is no need to raise the (retirement) age, you can have a choice," and later the then Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in 2012: "I accept raising the retirement age to 67."
Commenting on the two statements Szydlo said: "So they lied about this."
"For us, the voice of ordinary Poles has been and will always be the most important," she added.
On Friday morning, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of PiS and deputy prime minister revealed the first question in a plebiscite planned to be held along with the October 15 general election. It will ask respondents whether they support the sale of state-owned enterprises.
Planned originally as a national referendum on the European Union’s proposed new migration policy the plebiscite is set to consist of four questions, with the remaining two to be announced successively on Sunday and Monday. (PAP)
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