Poland relies more than 70% on coal for electric power generation. The consequences of decarbonization will be particularly violent in this country, as in other Eastern European countries. Will Poles have to leave the EU in order to survive economically?
Janusz Kowalski, MP from Solidarity Poland (or United Poland), a ruling coalition partner of the Rule and Justice Party (PIS), launched a debate on Polexit on the TV-show “Onet Opinions” (Onet.pl ) saying: “The year 2027, when the current budget perspective ends, will be the possible time for a referendum on Poland’s exit from the EU.” “If we do not stop the Eurocrats, the cost of living in Poland will be too high. Poland’s exit from the EU will hit the German economy, so we must start playing hard. Poland cannot be a beggar in the EU,'’ he added, according to thefirstnews.com. (https://www.thefirstnews.com/article/deputy-speaker-discards-idea-of-polexit-referendum-25793)
The same site reports that the Polish government spokesman, Piotr Mueller, said in response to Kowalski’s statement, that the government did not have any plans to organize a referendum on Poland’s membership in the EU. He said that Kowalski had not consulted with the government and that the statement was only “his private opinion.”
The reactions of the opposition coalition, the Civic Coalition bloc, led by Donald Tusk, also came. According to thefirstnews.com, the head of the parliamentary caucus of the Civic Coalition, Borys Budka, said, brandishing geopolitics: “Let’s be clear about it, without any bluntness[sic]: if anyone proposes Poland’s withdrawal from the EU in a situation where we have such a dangerous situation at the eastern border, in a situation of global threats, they are committing high treason,” he added.
On the 6th of November, a demonstration organized by the Federation of the PGE Capital Group Trade Unions took place in Warsaw in front of the European Commission’s Representation in Poland under the slogan “Yes to Poland’s energy sovereignty. No to high energy and heat prices.” The President of the Federation, Adam Olejnik, declared that “the trade unionists protested against the unfair energy transformation, drastic price increases of energy, heat, fuel and gas, and the speculative pricing of CO2 emissions,” according to Polskatimes.pl. He also wrote on facebook that they were opposing the #FitFor55 package. ”We oppose the European Union’s energy policy, which is destroying the Polish economy, which will lead not only our country but also the whole Europe to energy poverty and will ruin the industry!”
According to polsatnews.pl, MP Janusz Kowalski was also at the protest, declaring, “High energy and heat prices are the number one threat for the Polish economy. In January 2022, we are facing energy price increases of 20-30 percent, and heat price increases of 20-50 percent, depending on the local authorities. The EU climate regulation policy leads to permanent uncompetitiveness of the Polish economy, threatens tens of thousands of jobs in Poland, and leads to dependence on energy and gas imports from outside.”
The workers also protested against the closure of the Turow mine, reported polsatnews.pl, “The Court of Justice of the European Union has ordered the closure of thousands of jobs of fellow miners from the local mine. The order is also unambiguous for the entire 2 GW Turów power plant. Today Turów, tomorrow who?”
A French yellow-vests group expressed its solidarity with the victims of high energy prices in Eastern Europe in a statement in front of Euronext Paris. They showed how to fight speculation and high prices and declared their support for the fight of the Polish workers. This was welcomed and relayed by the organizer of the Polish protest.
