NEWSLETTER
From Poland with Love. February
Topic of the Month
In the Twilight Zone
The most important issue in Poland these days is undoubtedly transatlantic relations in the context of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Poland is promoting the strengthening of Europe's defense capabilities and looking for ways to support Ukraine, while at the same time trying to maintain good relations with the United States. In the face of Donald Trump's behavior, it requires political balancing and rhetorical stunts to allow leaders to show a face in discussions about values and not offend the Washington administration. With each passing day, this is becoming more difficult. Both for the government, which feels a huge responsibility for the security of the state and its citizens, and for the opposition PiS party, which unequivocally supported Trump and now has to explain his pro-Russian gestures.
The Polish authorities are actively trying to reach as many decision-makers in the US administration as possible with a message in line with Poland's raison d'état. "President Trump met with President Andrzej Duda of Poland and reaffirmed our close alliance. President Trump also commended President Andrzej Duda for Poland's commitment to increasing its defense spending," the White House X account said after the meeting. Duda announced there were no plans to reduce the number of US troops stationed in Poland. This statement came after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared in Poland that NATO allies cannot assume that America will be in Europe forever. At the same time Hegseth called Poland a “model ally”. It is worth stressing that on the same week Polish and US foreign ministers met in Washington.
It is important to mention that Duda faced criticism over his visit in the USA. The meeting with Trump happened on the sidelines of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), near Washington, DC. Polish president was waiting for over one hour to talk for 8 minutes in a backroom of the conference venue with his American counterpart. His nervous waiting time was broadcasted live by alt-right Polish televisions station Republika. Many commentators say broadcasting the very long wait before a very short meeting was humiliating for the Polish head of state. After the meeting Duda listened to a Trump’s over-one-hour-long offensive speech, and applauded it. Many representatives of the current coalition criticized the president and organization of the visit. But the criticism was moderated from the side of Poland’s top governmental officials and mainstream media. They mostly stressed that Duda wanted to do well and it is crucial to keep all channels of communication with the White House open to present the Polish perspective. “There is nothing to laugh about. Let's be serious because the [security] situation is getting really serious," commented Donald Tusk.
The infamous events involving presidents Trump and Zelenskyy in the Oval Office that led to the withholding of US military aid to Ukraine (including the withholding of deliveries of US weapons already stored at the Polish aid hub for Ukraine in Rzeszów) were widely reported in Poland. Government representatives sided unequivocally with Kyiv. Poland's deputy prime minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, called for unity and a return to US-Ukraine talks. "It is impossible to achieve a peaceful solution or ceasefire without talks involving the United States," he said. Polish MFA Radek Sikorski spoke on the phone with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha and reaffirmed that Warsaw will continue to support Kyiv until a "just peace" is achieved. "Poland's solidarity with Ukraine has been and remains strong. We will always be grateful to friendly Poland. We are not alone in defending our common values and security," Sybiha replied on X.
Of course, Prime Minister Tusk's words and actions have been crucial. The tension between the two Donalds is evident. It has been noted that Trump expressed his dislike for Tusk during the US presidential campaign. The Polish Prime Minister is positioning himself as a leader of Europe, calling for greater involvement of the EU and its member states in defence efforts and building greater independence from the US. Tusk commented on Trump's words that the EU was created "to screw the United States". "Quite the opposite. It was created to keep the peace, to build respect between our nations, to create free and fair trade and to strengthen our transatlantic friendship. It is as simple as that," said Tusk. And after the meeting of European leaders in London, he said: "This is a paradox, listen to how it sounds: 500 million Europeans are asking 300 million Americans to protect them from 140 million Russians. If you know how to count, you can rely on yourself". The Polish Prime Minister stressed that Europe is currently suffering from a "deficit of imagination and courage". He pointed out that the army of European countries, including Ukraine, consists of 2.6 million soldiers, while the US has 1.3 million, China 2 million and Russia 1.1 million.
Earlier, after a meeting in Warsaw with European Council President Antonio Costa, Tusk said Europe must be part of the upcoming negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. "I have no doubt that strengthening Europe's unity in the face of the situation in Ukraine and against Russia seems absolutely necessary now," he said, adding that "regardless of the difficulties, Europe is interested in strengthening cooperation with the United States.” Polish PM is supported in a diplomatic offensive by his MFA. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly Sikorski delivered a rebuke of the Kremlin as he cautioned member states that appeasing Russia would not bring peace but only accelerate Russian aggression. He called the Russian aggression in Ukraine a “modern-day colonial war,” and warned against a “business as usual” approach with Putin. He said that if Russia won it would have global consequences. The speech followed the adoption of a resolution condemning Russia’s war in Ukraine, opposed by the USA and Hungary among 18 countries (93 voted in favor).
Not only active politicians are supporting Ukraine at this crucial moment. The Nobel Peace Prize winner and former president of Poland, Lech Wałęsa, and 38 former Polish political prisoners have signed a letter to Donald Trump. "We consider your expectations to show respect and gratitude for the material support provided by the United States to Ukraine in its struggle against Russia as offensive," the letter reads. "Gratitude is due to the heroic Ukrainian soldiers who shed blood in defense of the values of the free world," it continues. Wałęsa and others compared the atmosphere during the meeting in the Oval Office to that of "interrogations by the Security Service and ... in communist courts". The signatories also called on Trump to fulfil the security guarantees given to Ukraine in 1994, after the collapse of the USSR.
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Poland will supply Ukraine with an additional 5,000 Starlink satellite internet terminals. These act as mobile routers providing internet access via satellite. They will enhance? Ukraine's ability to maintain reliable communications networks, particularly important in areas where traditional telecommunications infrastructure does not operate. "We pay and will continue to pay a subscription fee for satellite internet for Ukraine. I cannot imagine that anyone could decide to terminate a business contract for a commercial service in which Poland is a party," said Krzysztof Gawkowski, Poland's Minister of Digital Affairs.
Currently, around 85% of the 20,000 Starlink units active in Ukraine are funded externally, including by the US, UK and Poland.
Politics
Coup d’etat
The President of the Constitutional Tribunal, Bogdan Święczkowski, announced that the Tusk government and its associates had acted "in an organized criminal group". He claimed that the current Polish government has been systematically undermining the rule of law since taking office in December 2023, with the ultimate goal of "overthrowing the state system." According to Święczkowski, the request for a criminal investigation was made against the prime minister, all of his ministers, the speakers of the Sejm and the Senate, the president of the Government Legislation Center, as well as several judges and prosecutors. But was it?
The government replies that no such request was made. In fact, Święczkowski, a PiS ally, former deputy to Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro (currently under investigation, read more in the previous issue), did not initiate the procedure according to the book, but sent a 60-page complaint to another PiS nominee, Deputy Prosecutor General Michał Ostrowski. "I have issued a decision to open an investigation into a legal coup and the use of threats and unlawful violence to influence constitutional bodies, such as the Constitutional Tribunal, the National Tribunal, the Supreme Court, common courts, as well as the National Radio and Television Council," Ostrowski said. The Ministry of Justice considered the submission made by the head of the Constitutional Tribunal to Ostrowski as invalid, as it did not follow the official procedure of submitting submissions to the prosecutor's office.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk ridiculed the accusations. Many other politicians in the current coalition called them disgraceful. In the end, Justice Minister Adam Bodnar suspended Ostrowski. An investigation has also been opened into suspicions that Ostrowski committed the crime of abuse of power.
Most devastated by the whole situation were the older viewers of the alt-right Republic TV. By announcing a coup, Republika caused more than a little panic among its older viewers. Many frightened PiS voters looked out of their windows in search of soldiers and tanks, and later couldn't wait to find out what had happened to the coup....
Temporary Suspension of Asylum Rights
The Sejm has approved a bill allowing the temporary suspension of asylum rights in order to curb irregular migration, especially from Belarus. The legislation implements Prime Minister Donald Tusk's strategy by amending the Asylum Act to introduce a new legal concept of "instrumentalization of migration". The Ministry of the Interior will now be empowered to temporarily restrict the right to international protection in cases of instrumentalization of migration. The bill stipulates that the authorities must aim to restrict the rights of foreigners who intend to apply for international protection as little as possible. Certain categories of people - including minors, pregnant women, and people with special health care needs - will be allowed to apply for asylum even if the restrictions are in place.
386 MPs voted in favor, including the vast majority of MPs from the ruling coalition, the Civic Coalition (KO), Poland 2050 and PSL, and almost all from PiS and the far-right Confederation. 38 deputies from left-wing parties voted against it, and none abstained.
Human rights experts say the new law violates human rights, the Polish constitution, and an EU member state's obligation under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights to guarantee the right to asylum. They warn that the bill risks formalizing ongoing unlawful and abusive pushbacks at Poland's border with Belarus. "The law violates the European Convention on Human Rights. So if it goes to the European Court of Human Rights, Poland will lose the case," said former deputy ombudswoman Hanna Machińska.
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In 2024, 15,197 people applied for asylum in Poland, 72% more than in 2023 (8,843 applications). It is the highest annual figure recorded by the Polish Border Guard, whose data go back to 2016. After Ukrainians, the largest number of applications comes from citizens of Belarus and Russia. There is an increase in applications from Ethiopians, Eritreans and Somalis who entered Poland from Belarus.
Crackdown on Foreign Criminals
Security experts have warned that the rise of migrant organized crime groups could plunge the country into an era of gang terror reminiscent of the post-communist transition of the 1990s. The daily Rzeczpospolita wrote that "local gangsters have been replaced by foreigners from the east," particularly Georgian migrants. The newspaper warned that the situation could become even more difficult when the war in Ukraine ends, as it could lead to easier access to weapons for criminal purposes. Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that foreign criminals would not be tolerated in the country. "Anyone who visits Poland, takes advantage of our hospitality and brutally violates the law will be expelled from Poland," he said. The government blamed the "uncontrolled influx of migrants" allowed by the previous government and said it was prioritizing dealing with the problem. "Our goal is to significantly reduce the number of people wanted on arrest warrants, because the current measures are insufficient, but also those who are in our country illegally. That is why we are increasing the number of checks," added Deputy Interior Minister Czesław Mroczek.
Poland has launched a crackdown on foreign criminals. Various services have carried out a series of raids across the country. Between February 13 and 14, more than 27,000 police officers and border guards checked about 32,000 addresses and arrested 1,474 wanted people. 204 of them were migrants, of whom 166 were deported. The authorities confirmed that foreigners had committed a range of crimes, such as working without a permit or traffic violations, but also more serious crimes, including armed robbery, burglary and murder. Border guards also conducted 2,400 checks on the legality of migrants' stay, resulting in the initiation of deportation proceedings against approximately 180 Ukrainians, 60 Georgians, and 60 Colombians.
Speaking at the 16th meeting of the Europol Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group in Warsaw, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak reiterated the three priorities of the Polish EU Presidency, which include civil protection, the fight against illegal immigration, and the fight against organized crime. Siemoniak stressed that EU security agencies such as Europol and Frontex "should have more tools, more support from member states and more authority to take action". "Guns in the hands of criminals would lead to increasing brutality of crimes, robberies and murders," he said. "If we don't confront it and nip it in the bud, we will see an increase in negative incidents in many areas," he concluded.
New CBA Head
Agnieszka Kwiatkowska-Gurdak, the head of Poland's Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA), has resigned from her post. Prime Minister Donald Tusk almost immediately confirmed the acceptance of her resignation.
The resignation follows her testimony before the Sejm's special investigative commission on the Pegasus surveillance software. During the hearing, she refused to answer most of the questions, citing operational secrecy and the confidentiality of ongoing criminal proceedings. Her behavior was described as arrogant by members of the ruling coalition, and the behavior of her legal advisor as rude and unacceptable. Shortly after the hearing, Tusk demanded an urgent annual report on the CBA from Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, whose ministry oversees the CBA.
Tusk wants to abolish the CBA. It has been said that Kwiatkowska-Gurdak is against the idea and would obstruct it. Commentators have suggested that her appointment was a mistake. While she was highly regarded as a very good agent, she lacked the competence and ability to run a large government agency.
Kwiatkowska-Gurdak will be replaced by Tomasz Strzelczyk, who was previously her deputy. Strzelczyk is known for his extensive experience in anti-corruption initiatives. Prior to his current role, he spent more than 20 years in the police, where he focused on combating economic and drug-related crime.
“Bullet in the Head”
February 20, 2025 was a very special day in the Sejm. In addition to the usual debates and political insults, viewers witnessed two outrageous behaviors by MPs. Ryszard Wilk, an MP from the far-right Cofederation, took part in the plenary debate while drunk. Speaker Szymon Hołownia threw him out of the chamber and asked the Sejm's ethics committee to impose a fine of PLN 20,000 (about EUR 4,800). Later, Wilk apologized, saying, "I have tried to conscientiously perform my duties as an MP, but I am losing to alcoholism". Earlier, he had been involved in a confrontation with Polish police while under the influence of alcohol and confirmed that he had tried various treatments for his alcoholism. The federation suspended him, but wished him well in his treatment. Hołownia, has proposed breathalyzer tests for MPs.
On the same day, during a speech by former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, whose parliamentary immunity was being debated, another PiS MP, Edward Siarka, shouted that Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk should be shot. He shouted loudly: "Bullet in the head." He was immediately asked to apologize by the deputy speaker of the chamber, and he complied. But later he tried to explain himself, saying it was a quote from a poem. Ziobro also justified his colleague's words. However, he was angry because the hateful comment ruined his show in which he tried to play the role of a victim of the Tusk regime. Instead of talking about Ziobro, everyone was talking about Siarka. Even more so when the Minister of Justice, Adam Bodnar, announced that he had filed a complaint for an alleged crime committed by him over the outburst.
Technology
Polish Ethical Large Language Model
Poland has launched a new Polish language chatbot. Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said the Polish Large Language Model (PLLuM) was created for use by administrators, businesses and scientists, but "every citizen can use the chatbot." "PLLuM is a trustworthy model that should strengthen Polish digital sovereignty," Gawkowski said. A new consortium launched by the ministry, called HIVE, will be responsible for implementing AI models in administrative offices and in the government app that provides online access to official documents and public services (mObywatel).
The Polish language model is based on ethical data collection and primarily uses organic data - developed manually, and not using other language models. Trained on Polish resources, it copes very well with the challenges of inflection and complex syntax, generating accurate content. However, even the creators of PLLuM stress that it is not as good as ChatGPT and needs further improvements.
In January, the Polish government unveiled plans to invest over 1 billion euros in the development of domestic AI technologies by 2025, believing that it will contribute to the creation of new economic growth.
Poland & Germany
Polish Smog over Berlin
An official of the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA), Ute Dauert, has claimed in the tabloid Bild that much of the smog over Berlin comes from Poland and that Poland is to blame. She estimates that 25-35% of Germany's airborne smog comes from its eastern neighbor, and she blames the use of coal as the primary fuel for heating homes there. She adds that other cities in Germany, including Hamburg, Dresden and Hanover, also see emissions from Poland.
Up to 87% of the coal used to heat homes in the EU is burned in Polish furnaces. Poland still exceeds the EU average by emitting five times as much PM10 (coarse particulate matter) and PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) and almost twice as much NO2. In addition, Poland remains the largest emitter of benzopyrene in the EU. According to IQAir's live ranking, on February 5, Krakow and Wroclaw were identified as the most polluted major cities in Europe. Warsaw and Poznań have also appeared several times in the infamous "Top 10" of the most polluted cities. The issue remains very relevant as cold winter weather hit Poland in February.
Outdated coal and wood-fired boilers are mostly to blame for the poor air quality in Polish cities. The Clean Air Program, established in 2018, subsidizes their replacement with new ones. There are still about 2.8 million such boilers in the country.
Economy
Billionaires’ Club
For the first time, the list of the 100 richest people in Poland consists exclusively of billionaires. The Forbes Rich List for 2025 shows that the number of Poles worth at least one billion PLN (approx. 241.7 million EUR) has increased three times since the last edition. Currently, there are 107 billionaires in Poland, and their combined wealth exceeds 75 billion euros.
Michał Sołowowow, with a very diverse business portfolio and investments in nuclear energy, ranks first on the Forbes list. Jerzy Starak, the owner of the biotech company Polpharma Biologics is second. Last on the podium is the most mysterious of Polish businessmen, the owner of the Dino supermarket chain, Tomasz Biernacki. The biggest mover is Dariusz Miłek, founder of the HalfPrice fashion chain.
Society
Conspiracies and Distrust
More Poles believe in conspiracy theories. The latest Eurobarometer survey reveals a worrying level of scientific ignorance among Poles, who have become the European leaders in climate skepticism, distrust of scientists and belief in conspiracy theories. Here are some of the statements.
Humans lived at the same time as dinosaurs.
Yes: 32%
No: 65%
Don't know: 3%.
This is 4pp more than 4 years ago. The average of the positive answers for Europe is 23%.
Human beings did not evolve from other animal species.
Yes: 38%
No: 58%
Don't know 4%
This is 2pp more than 4 years ago. The average of positive answers for Europe is 27%.
50% of Poles believe that viruses are produced in state laboratories to control our freedom, and 47% that a cure for cancer exists but is hidden for the sake of market profits.
More than 34,000 people from 27 countries of the European Union (including Poland) and 4 other countries Turkey, North Macedonia, Serbia and the United Kingdom participated in the study.
Culture
World’s First Theater in a Metro Station
Probably the world's first theater in a subway station is being built in Warsaw. The Metro Stage Theater is being built at the M2 Bródno metro station. The space is currently being adapted and will soon be ready for performances. The Metro Stage will be built in a 200 square meter space. In addition to the stage and technical equipment, there will be 70 seats for the audience. It is scheduled to open in the spring of 2025.
The unusual space will be a place where actors can rehearse and then stage performances. Its location at the terminus of a metro station is expected to make it easier and faster for Varsovians to access culture.
Trends & Polls
Party Support
CBOS, 17-20.2025
Civic Coalition 34%
PiS 29%
Confederation 17%
Left 6%
Third Way 4%
Together 2%
Presidential Race
CBOS, 17-20.02.2025
Rafał Trzaskowski (KO) 34%
Karol Nawrocki (PiS) 25%
Sławomir Mentzen (Confeder.) 17%
Szymon Hołownia (Third Way) 5%
Grzegorz Braun (Crown) 3%
Krzysztof Stanowski (indep.) 3%
Magadlenia Biejat (Left) 2%
Adrian Zandberg (Together) 2%
Marek Jakubiak (indep.) 1%