PM Fiala's Adviser Discusses Pension Reform As Labour Unions Join Protests

Prime Minister Petr Fiala's adviser Daniel Münich told Seznam Zpravy that although the increase in retirement age is expected to stop at 65 in the next decade, it will ultimately depend on the projected life expectancy and an increase to 68 remains on the table.

• The government's plan for reforming the pension system involves slowing the automatic growth of pensions, with the recipients of higher pensions set to be affected to a greater extent.
• Officials are also looking to raise the retirement age, possibly as high as to 68, in a move that sparked strong public backlash in different places across the world and most recently in France.
• Labour and Social Affairs Minister Marian Jurecka said that a comprehensive plan for the reform will be presented next month. The bill slowing pension growth has already been passed into law after a highly contentious debate.
• Czech labour unions today joined the opposition parties to protest the government's plans. Leader of the main opposition ANO movement Andrej Babis attended a demonstration in Prague, pledging his support for the unions.