NEWSLETTER
From Poland with Love. June
Topic of the Month
Civic Coalition Wins the EP Race
Civic Coalition (KO) lead by Donald Tusk won the EP elections with 37,06%. First time since 2015 the democratic block came first, beating PiS. The Jarosław Kaczyński’s party received 36,16%. Far-right Confederation finished third with 12,08%, and was followed by the Third Way (6,91%) and the Left (6,30%). No other party got even close to the 5% threshold (Nonpartisan Local Activists, BS, received less than 1%).
This result translates into 21 seats for KO; 20 for PiS; 6 for Confederation, and 3 for both the Left and the Third Way. The latter one will split their MEPs between EPP – 2 from the agrarian PSL party – and Renew Europe – one from the Poland 2050 party. All KO MEPs will join EPP, those from PiS will sit in ECR and the Left in S&D. This means that Poland will have 23 MEPs in EPP, which will make the Polish delegation there the second strongest after the German one. This is of key importance for Donald Tusk, who became the strongest prime minister representing the biggest group in the European Parliament. Tusk was appointed to negotiate top jobs in Europe on behalf of EPP. PiS will be the second biggest party in ECR, which is lead by Giorgia Melloni’s Fratelli d’Italia. The future of the group is uncertain in the light of creation of the new initiative by Czech ANO and Hungarian Fidesz, close ally of PiS. It remains in question where the Confederation will go. It is commented that the ID group is an option, the other being a new group created by German AfD. It is probable that Polish far-right MEPs will quickly split and land in different families or become unaffiliated.
PiS claims it won the election since the difference between them and the KO was less than 1pp. Such a short distance to the winner gave Kaczyński and his team some hope that they can rebuild the party and maybe even win next year’s presidential elections. It is said that before June 9 PiS had a plan to run a candidate who could consolidate the party and enter the second round, but now PiS intents to identify a candidate who may win the whole race. But it is difficult to defend the thesis that PiS is the winner of EP elections. The populist right lost 7 MEPs, many of lead candidates lost internal battles in 13 constituencies with their younger, more moderate colleagues from the middle of lists. Kaczyński was very disappointed that his appointees were eliminated by voters, which diminished his position in the party and in political scene. One of the biggest losers of the voting is the former CEO of the state-owned TV who changed the TVP into one party’s propaganda tube, Jacek Kurski. Another was a minister from the President’s Office, Wojciech Kolarski. Andrzej Duda engaged personally in his campaign, violating a good custom of presidential non-interference in elections. However, it is worth stressing that two convicted PiS ministers, who were later pardoned by Andrzej Duda, Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik won mandates (read more in the February edition). So did the former CEO of the state-owned oil energy company Daniel Obajtek, who was hiding through the campaign from police officers, prosecutors and the special investigation commission of the Sejm. He was reported to live in Budapest, in an apartment of a Fidesz-related businessman. Kamiński, Wąsik and Obajtek will be now protected by immunity.
The Confederation is definitely among the winners of the elections. With the low turnout of 41% and mobilized electorate they managed to send 6 candidates to Brussels and Strasbourg, surprisingly – 2 women. One of the new Polish MEPs is Grzegorz Braun, anti-Semitic, ultra-conservative monarchist (read more in the December edition). It is certain that he will become one of the most infamous politician in the chamber.
Two smaller coalition partners of KO were undoubtedly labeled as losers of the elections. The Third Way hoped for 6 MEPs, but ended up with three, which was especially devastating for the Poland 2050 party, which won only one seat. The Left barely made it to the EP, losing 2 of their 5 MEPs. Both Third Way and the Left which are coalition of parties face now internal fights about who is responsible for the defeat. The far-left Together party even considered leaving the common leftist group in the Sejm.
Security
New Rules on the Use of Weapons on the Border
Polish interior minister Tomasz Siemoniak announced that Special Border Guard units dedicated to protecting Poland's borders will be created. "We are facing a situation that threatens national security, namely illegal migration at the Belarus–Poland border. We have quickly identified vulnerabilities and will fix them soon", deputy minister Czesław Mroczek said.
Polish government also amended laws on operations of the army, police, and border guards, including rules on the use of weapons. The authorities stressed that there had been lack of legal clarity regarding interactions between troops armed with firearms and civilians. Now the Armed Forces will be allowed to use arms in peacetime when state security is threatened. A new article will be included in the penal code to exempt soldiers from responsibility for using weapons during peacetime military operations in the country. What is more, if a soldier is prosecuted for exceeding their authority, the new law guarantee them a public defender and reimbursement for legal costs. Additionally, the new regulations will permit the use of “water incapacitating agents” against individuals crossing the border against the rules.
The new legislation is a consequence of the controversy triggered by the detention of three soldiers in early June for allegedly discharging their weapons illegally while serving on the border. Their detention provoked outcry, especially among the opposition MPs. Moreover, a soldier who was stabbed with a knife through the border fence died of his injuries. It is commented that lack of proper reaction of the defense minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz on this incident resulted in a very bad performance of the Third Way – an alliance of his conservative and agrarian PSL with Poland 2050 - in EP elections (read more in the Topic of the Month section).
The new proposal is widely accepted by public opinion (87,5% supports the use of arms on the borders), but legal experts and human rights organization raise their concerns. They say that the catalogue of circumstances listed in the act, like “violation of state borders”, can be interpreted very broadly and does not justify the violation of the much higher value good of human life.
Society
Forceful Removal of Pro-Palestinian Protesters
Since May 24, a group of students of the Warsaw University (UW) have been protesting in solidarity with the Palestinian people. They call for the UW authorities to condemn the state of Israel and demand access to information on all connections that their university may have with Israeli academic institutions as well as organizations and companies “which are profiting from or are involved in the occupation of Palestine and the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip".
In mid June, the protest moved from a park, where a tent village had been set up, to the UW Main Campus in the historic center of the city. The rector called the occupation of the UW land unacceptable, and the police reacted quickly and forcefully, removing protesters from the campus. What is more, law enforcement authorities pressed criminal charges against some protesters. The rector limited access to the campus for everybody who is not a UW student. As a consequence, a demonstration gathered in front of the main gate to the campus in support of the removed protesters. MPs from the far-left Together party called the rector to engage in the dialogue with the students.
Economy
New Law Eliminates Drivers from the Market
New regulations have eliminated thousands of drivers working for transportation services like Uber and Bolt. They made jobless drivers without a Polish driver’s license or those who have lived in the country for less than 185 days.
According to the government, new regulations are necessary to enhance safety of costumers. In recent months, transportation services like Uber and Bolt became notorious in Poland. Some scandals regarding the safety of passengers have shaken public opinion, as several drivers have been accused of sexually assaulting female passengers. Also police statistics showed many irregularities. Some drivers didn’t have documents permitting legal residence in Poland, others didn’t have valid driving licenses or driving licenses at all.
The new requirement may lead to a significant increase in taxi prices and a decrease in the availability of drivers. According to Uber Polska, the new regulation will exclude up to one-third of all drivers from the market, who are responsible for 50% of all trips. This can be observed in particular in big cities.
Big Layoffs on Railroads
PKP Cargo, second biggest freight operator in Europe, is in deep troubles with a budget hole of EUR 1,17 billion. The company plans to lay off even 1/3 of its workforce. Over 4.000 employees may lose their jobs. Consultations with syndicates are planned to begin negotiations regarding the collective layoffs. Management believes an agreement with trade unions to suspend the Collective Labor Agreement is possible to reach.
PKP Cargo recently filed for restructuring proceedings to improve its financial and liquidity situation. A 12-month layoff programme was initiated in June. Additionally, the company labeled 30% of its workforce as inactive for one year, which means they are not able to work and their pay has been cut by 40%. Moreover, 110 PKP Cargo workers would move to Polregio, a regional passenger operator, PKP Intercity, the largest passenger operator, and Intercity Remtrak, the branch of PKP taking care of passenger rolling stock maintenance.
The current board is indicating years of mismanagement as the root cause of the company’s massive losses, and is pursuing legal action against its former management. The current board accuses their predecessors to failed to properly protect the company’s interests and act on a solid legal foundation, adding that former PM Mateusz Morawiecki likely overstepped his competences by obliging PKP Cargo to prioritize coal transport in July 2022, which lead to significant loses.
More Poles in Extreme Poverty
According to Statistics Poland (GUS), 6,6% of households in Poland fell into the trap of extreme poverty in 2023. The number is up from 4% in 2022, as benefits did not keep up with inflation. Most of the people from the group are seniors. According to the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) there are ca. 400.000 people in Poland who receive pension lower than the minimal one (EUR 411).
Extreme poverty is as an income below EUR 210 per month in 2023 for a single-person household, and EUR 569 for a family of two adults and two children.
Mega-Airport Back in the Game
Polish government decided to move forward with the Central Communication Port (Centralny Port Komunikacyjny, CPK) Programme, also known as the Solidarity Transport Hub, first of all with the construction of a new multibillion-euro airport 40km West from Warsaw. “We will build the most modern airport in Europe”, Prime Minister Donald Tusk declared. He added that the annual passenger numbers should reach 34 million. The project will be, however, significantly different – smaller – than the one promoted by the previous administration
The new airport in Baranów will be integrated into the national transport network via high-speed railway lines, forming a Y-shaped corridor connecting Warsaw, Łódź, Poznań, and Wrocław. The project will reduce travel time between biggest cities to 100 minutes. “Poland will become one big megalopolis”, Tusk commented. Instead of the previously designed radial lines leading to the mega-airport, a national railway network model was chosen, allowing for a more efficient transportation system for the whole country. Last year, the European Commission allocated EUR 63,6 million from the Connecting Europe Facility for design and preparatory works on the new line linking Warszawa and Łódź.
In the meantime, Warsaw’s existing Chopin and Modlin airports will be expanded and greatly improved. The government also plans to modernize regional airports. Once the CPK airport is done, “the future of [Chopin Airport] will be decided”, concluded Tusk, suggesting it could continue to function as an “air transport centre” for drones. Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski is against closing passenger operations from the Chopin Airport, currently the most important hub in Poland.
The final component of the CPK plan is an overhaul of LOT Polish Airlines, the national carrier. It was announced that 130 new aircrafts will be bought to expand the network so that it can compete with the biggest airlines in Europe.
Total construction costs for the airport up to 2032 will exceed PLN 131 billion (ca. EUR 30,5 billion), making it one of the largest infrastructure projects in Poland’s history.
The CPK, first put forward already in 1970s, was a flagship mega project of PiS. The former government unrealistically planned it to serve over 100 million passengers a year. It was supposed be open in 2028, even though the land acquisition has not ended yet. It was criticized by at that time opposition. In its election manifesto, Civic Coalition, promised to audit and review it.
PiS criticized the new CPK for its small scale. Former PM Mateusz Morawiecki said that Tusk is willing to “rebuild CPK so that it does not pose a threat to the Germans and Austrians”. Other PiS politicians stress they don’t agree with the presented railway investments claiming that only big cities will benefit from them, leaving smaller cities and towns behind in development.
Poland & Germany
Common Defense. And How to Finance It
During the Weimar Triangle meeting in Paris, Polish defense minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz appealed to his France and Germany for help in dealing with an escalating migrant crisis at the border with Belarus. He called actions of the regime in Minsk supported by the Kremlin “an organized hybrid operation” directed against the West, including the EU and NATO. “There are no migrants at the Polish-Belarusian border today. There are people assaulting Polish soldiers, police officers, and border guards, and they are well trained and prepared”, he commented. Kosiniak-Kamysz underlined that his appeal to Boris Pistorius and Sébastien Lecornu did not concern military help, but support of police and border guard forces.
During the last EU summit Donald Tusk was among these European leaders who supported the idea of common investments in EU defense, including the in the Polish “East Shied” project (read more in the previous issue of the newsletter). Media commented that Donald Tusk was “angry” against Olaf Scholz and the newly appointed NATO president Mark Rutte for opposing common financing of the EU defense projects.
Polish-German House Approved
The German government has approved the establishment of an institution that will commemorate Polish victims of Nazi Germany. According to German authorities, the Polish-German House in Berlin will “shed light on the centuries-long history of intertwining between Germany and Poland, and provide a space for education and encounters in the German-Polish context”. Claudia Roth, the minister of culture, declared that the new institution will located in the center of the German capital and will “advance remembrance for a common future for Germany and Poland as close partners in a strong, united Europe”. “Germany still bears a special historical responsibility when it comes to relations with our neighbor - and fortunately again a close partner - Poland”, she added. It is commented that it may be located in the Kroll Opera House, which functioned as the plenary room of the Reichstag between 1933 and 1942.
The Polish-German House will be based on three main elements: commemoration, the construction of a museum, and education. The substantive aspect will focus on the Nazi German aggression against Poland and the occupation. The project will be implemented jointly by the Foundation of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and the German Institute of Polish Affairs.
Afghan Family Returned to Poland Triggered Controversy
German police returned a family from Afghanistan that had illegally departed Poland, and left them near the village of Osinów Dolny. German police claims that it did everything according to the law, as lack of documents of the migrants dictated they be returned to Poland, where they had received asylum. German police added that Polish police was not responsive “for several hours” after the incident was reported and they had to act. Polish border guards and politicians, however, called it a violation of law.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk confronted German authorities over Afghan family abandoned in Poland. “The German authorities must not make such a decision arbitrarily”, declared the Polish border service. And prime minister wrote on X: "I will soon talk to Chancellor Scholz about an unacceptable incident involving the German police and a migrant family on our side of the border”, adding the matter "must be explained in detail". Also Polish interior minister Tomasz Siemoniak announced the case will be discussed with his German counterpart Nancy Faeser. He added that if such incident happens again, Poland will consider introducing controls on the border with Germany.
In 2024, the German authorities have sent back over 4.600 people to Poland who attempted to illegally enter Germany. Half of them came from Ukraine, followed by Syrians and Afghans.
Culture
New Stars for Restaurants
Michelin unveiled the new selection of restaurants for its Guide Poland 2024. This year marks the addition of the Pomerania region to the Guide. The region joins the existing selections in Warsaw, Kraków, and Poznań.
In the new Guide there are 3 new one Michelin star restaurants in Poland: Arco by Paco Perez in Gdańsk, Rozbrat 20 in Warsaw overseen by chef-owner Bartosz Szymczak, and Giewont in Kościelisko in the Tatra mountains. There are now 5 one star restaurants in Poland, as Muga in Poznań and NUTA in Warsaw have both deservedly kept their distinctions for another year. And Krakow’s Bottilgliera 1881 maintained its two stars. Additionally, Michelin gave its first Green Star to a Polish restaurant, which is a way of recognizing restaurants that lead the way when it comes to their sustainable practices. Eliksir in Gdańsk has become the lucky début in this category.
The Guide Poland now recognizes 77 restaurants overall. It is not bad after a decade of presence in Poland. But the success of much smaller Lithuania which debuted in the guide this year with over 30 restaurants shows that there is much room for work and expansion for Polish chefs.
World Most Beautiful Museum
The new Polish History Museum in Warsaw has been included in the prestigious list of the World's Most Beautiful Museums, created as part of this year's Versailles Prize. According to the general secretary of the Prize the awarded “[m]useums provide special conditions that stimulate intercultural dialogue”. The competition's jury commented that in Warsaw’s museum the history of Poland can be learned not only in the exhibitions, but also by looking at the facade.
Museum of Polish History and expansion of the Polish Army Museum have opened to the public in the Warsaw Citadel in September 2023. The new museum has 45.000 sq m for exhibition spaces, archives, a concert hall, cinema, library, and educational areas. Together with the Katyń Museum, located in the 10th Pavilion of the Citadel, they will create the “park of museums”, one of the largest museum complexes in Europe. The building was designed by architects from the WXCA studio (read more in the September 2023 edition).
The list of The World’s Most Beautiful Museums 2024 includes seven newly opened museums from around the world, among others the Great Egyptian Museum (Giza, Egypt), the Simose Art Museum (Hiroshima, Japan), and Paleis Het Loo (Apeldoorn, Netherlands).
Polls & Trends
Party Support
IBRiS for “Rzeczpospolita”, 21-22.06.2024
Civic Coalition 34%
PiS 32,7%
Confederation 10,8%
Third Way 9,2%
Left 6,3%
Poles on Summer Holidays
Panel Ariadna, 14-16.06.2024
Where will Poles spend their summer vacations?
Domestic holidays 32%
Home 23%
Holidays abroad 19%
How long will summer vacations of Poles be?
Up to a week 60%
Between 8 and 14 days 30%
More than 2 weeks 12%