The polity that is Poland

A new law that comes into effect in Poland this week will scrap income tax for roughly 2 million young workers.

It’s an attempt by the government to stop the dramatic brain drain Poland has experienced since it joined the European Union 15 years ago.

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the tax exemption will bring new opportunities for young people “so they match those available in the West.” Poles under the age of 26 who earn less than 85,528 Polish zloty ($22,547) a year will be exempt from the country’s 18% income tax starting August 1. The allowance is generous, considering the average Polish salary stands at just below 60,000 zloty ($15,700) a year.

The government said 2 million people will qualify for the benefit.

Here is the full story. There are also baby bounties in Poland, and policies seem to be increasingly youth-oriented.  You can see this on the streets of Warsaw, which have more non-tourist young people than just about any other major city in Europe.