Understanding Poland's Retreat From Costly Swiss-Loan Fix

  • Central bank seeks policy cooperation to avoid hurting lenders
  • Banks face legislation on currency spreads, regulatory changes

Restored residential buildings stand beyond a cafe terrace in Warsaw.

Photographer: Piotr Malecki/Bloomberg
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Poland’s banks, regulators and lawmakers have been locked in a yearlong argument over how to unwind $42 billion in foreign-currency loans without destabilizing the economy.

Lenders want to focus their efforts on the neediest foreign-currency mortgage holders, while the financial watchdog is planning to tighten recommendations to persuade banks to voluntarily convert their loans into zloty.