Czechs agree on need for pension changes but not on specifics

Over 70 percent of Czechs agree that a significant reform of the pension system is needed, according to a survey conducted by the Kantar CZ agency for Czech Television, which published it on Sunday. However, there is little agreement on specific proposals for how to change it.

An increase in payments to the pension system from the self-employed and from people employed on casual and short-term contracts received the biggest amount of support, at 60 percent. Half of the respondents were in favour of tightening the conditions for early retirement. 57 percent do not agree that state contributions should be lower and that people should save more for their own pensions, while 41 percent of people are in favour of this proposal. Even fewer people agree with the proposal that the retirement age be linked to life expectancy, with 68 percent of people speaking out against it and only 30 percent in favour.

The government's proposal for changes to the pension system includes stricter conditions for early retirement and slowing down the indexation of pension payments. According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, these changes are necessary to reduce the huge state budget deficit, prevent the collapse of the pension system, and make it sustainable for the future.