In response to the tariffs introduced by the United States, which may affect energy and climate policy, the Poles have announced a policy of “economic nationalism”. Meanwhile, wind farms could become the main campaign issue ahead of the presidential election.
The presidential election in Poland
The leader in the latest polls is the mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski (Donald Tusk Civic Coalition), with around 30% support. Second is Karol Nawrocki with around 25% support. R. Trzaskowski is backed by Jarosław Kaczyński's Law and Justice party (PiS), while K. Nawrocki is standing as an independent candidate. If neither candidate wins an absolute majority of the votes in May, a second round of voting will be held between the two leading candidates. Poland has a parliamentary system in which the president can influence the approval of legislation passed by the Sejm — including, for example, the law liberalising onshore wind farms. The president can refer a law to the Constitutional Tribunal, extending the process indefinitely.
Wind farms as a live issue in the election campaign
The Polish parliament has referred a bill on the rules for developing onshore wind farms to the Committee on Energy, Climate and State Assets for further discussion. Under the bill, the final decision on construction would remain with local authorities, which would be entitled to receive up to 10% of the energy produced locally. Turbines would have to be installed at least 500 metres from inhabited areas and 1,500 metres from Natura 2000 EU protected nature areas. The bill was referred to the committee despite objections from the right-wing parties — the former governing party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość (PiS) and Konfederacja. The committee's talks will take place under strong pressure from business representatives, who are calling for liberalisation to continue, and resistance from opposition politicians, who want to use the debate on wind farm development in the presidential election campaign. The first round of the presidential election is scheduled for 18 May, and the second — if needed — for 1 June.
A “strategy of delay”
Like other European member states, Poland has missed the deadline for submitting its updated National Energy and Climate Plan to the European Commission; the government has announced that it will do so by June 2025. The European Commission is considering bringing a complaint before the European Court of Justice if submission of the plans is delayed any further; Brussels has already asked Poland and other member states to submit their plans. The main target in the draft Polish plan is to generate 50% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030 — a goal supported by green NGOs and liberal politicians and opposed by the coal-mining trade unions and conservative parties.
During its presidency, Poland is fighting to lead European efforts to phase out Russian fossil fuels. This is one of the priorities of the Polish presidency, which runs until the end of June. Its aim is to have detailed measures drawn up and approved so that imports of Russian fossil fuels can be halted in line with the REPowerEU plan, whose deadline is 2027. Unfortunately, Poland failed to push through its initiative for an embargo on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG). It also rejects any speculation about restarting the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany. On 6 May the European Commission plans to table a proposal on ending dependence on Russian fossil fuels. Other priorities of the Polish presidency relate to strengthening the resilience of critical infrastructure and improving the affordability of energy prices in order to increase the competitiveness of the European economy. The Polish government also plans to reform the electricity market in order to strengthen nuclear power relative to renewable energy sources.
Eco-activists still strongly oppose the nuclear power project
Activists in Poland are challenging the decision by the environmental protection authority (GDOŚ) to “give the green light” to the planned nuclear power plant in Pomerania on the Baltic coast — Lubiatowo-Kopalino. The Warsaw administrative court must rule on whether the GDOŚ decision complies with the law. Construction of Poland's first nuclear power plant will begin in 2028. The aim is to start generating electricity by 2036.
Poland has been granted substantial European funding, receiving a large share of the European Union Recovery Fund (6.3 billion euros) set up in 2021 to help member states overcome the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. A large part of these funds will be invested in electricity grids. Polska Grupa Energetyczna, the largest state energy company in Poland, plans to invest around 2.8 billion euros in distribution networks.
Problems for the energy transition in Poland could arise from the fact that the government is redirecting part of the recovery fund money (6.95 billion euros) to the Security and Resilience Fund, which was set up to support security investment and to counter the ongoing threat from Russia. As a result of this reallocation, the Green Fund for Polish cities, for example, will not receive any money.