Merkel's comments anger neighbors

MESCHEDE, Germany, May 20 (UPI) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel has irked residents of Greece, Portugal and Spain, saying they take too many vacations and retire too soon, officials said.

Merkel, speaking at a rally in the western German town of Meschede, said Germany doesn't mind helping out its neighbors, but they shouldn't expect to take frequent holidays and retire early, then wait for Germany to bail them out, EUobserver reported.

"It is also about not being able to retire earlier in countries such as Greece, Spain (and) Portugal than in Germany. Instead everyone should try a little bit to make the same effort. That is important," Merkel said. "We can't have a common currency where some get lots of vacation time and others very little. That won't work in the long term."

Her comments even angered Germans.

The Social Democratic opposition party called her a "populist" and criticized her for giving a "coarse representation of Greek realities."

"This is the purest colonialism," Portuguese trade union chief Maneul Carvalho ad Silva said. He said Merkel showed "no solidarity" and he criticized her for supporting a system where "the rich continue to live at the expense of the poorest countries in a disastrous system of exploitation."

Germany is evaluating a proposal to hike the retirement age to 69 years of age. Voters agreed to gradually increase the retirement age to 67 in 2012, up from the current 65.

Last year Greece raised its retirement age to 65. Spain increased its retirement age to 67 this year. In Portugal, the retirement age is 65.