Retirement Age Sparks Friction in Poland’s Government Coalition Over “Scandalous” Proposals

A proposal by Funds and Regional Policy Minister Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz to make childless women work longer has sparked strong backlash from Family, Labour and Social Policy Minister Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk.

Retirement Age Controversy Inside the Government Coalition

The idea of raising the retirement age has returned to Polish political debate. A proposal by the Minister of Funds and Regional Policy, Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, suggesting that childless women should work longer, strongly outraged the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy, Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk. Dziemianowicz-Bąk emphasized that as long as the Left is in government, there will be no raising of the retirement age for either women or men.

A new dispute is brewing within the governing coalition following statements by the Minister of Funds and Regional Policy, who claimed that debate on raising the retirement age in Poland is unavoidable. Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz presented another bold thesis, suggesting that the retirement age for women and men should be equalized and childless women should work longer.

The Left’s Strong Opposition and Voter Meetings

New Left politicians spent Sunday evening in Kazimierz Dolne (Lublin Voivodeship) as part of their summer voter meeting tour under the slogan “The Left Delivers.” Alongside Dziemianowicz-Bąk, attendees included Science Minister Marcin Kulasek, Deputy Agriculture Minister Jacek Czerniak, and Deputy Science Minister Karolina Zioło-Pużuk.

The minister admitted that during conversations with voters, she is frequently asked about the retirement age because scandalous proposals—as she assessed them—have appeared in the public sphere to make women’s retirement age dependent on whether they have children and how many children they have.

Dziemianowicz-Bąk assessed that this approach is cruel, arguing it punishes women who cannot have children with longer work instead of helping them through measures like state-funded in vitro treatments. She added that having children is the private choice of every family.

The head of the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy stated that the Left says a firm “no” to such ideas. She assured that as long as the Left is in government and responsible for this area, there will be no raising of the retirement age for women, men, fathers, mothers, or childless individuals.

Alternative Views on Retirement and Demographic Projections

According to Dziemianowicz-Bąk, discussions about the retirement age are possible only to equalize it downwards at the level of 60 years for both sexes, to facilitate longer voluntary professional activity, or to introduce service-based pensions.

She also mentioned facilitating continued work for individuals who wish to work past retirement age by shortening their working hours while maintaining their remuneration, providing older workers with more time for recovery and rest.

According to the Central Statistical Office (GUS), the median age of Poland’s population could reach over 50.25 years by 2060, which is about 7 years higher than in 2024. In this scenario, half of Poland’s residents will be over 50 years old. Meanwhile, the UN predicts that Poland’s population will shrink to around 19 million by 2100. The statutory retirement age in Poland is 60 for women and 65 for men.