Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki has pledged to hold a national referendum on the European Green Deal, asserting that EU climate policies pose an “existential and fundamental” threat to Poland’s economy and sovereignty. Speaking on the campaign trail, Nawrocki—the independent candidate supported by the conservative PiS party—emphasised that the Green Deal jeopardises the livelihood of Polish farmers and urban residents alike.
“It is a threat to all of us—not just to people in the countryside and on farms,” Nawrocki declared. Highlighting the impact of policies like the EU’s emissions trading scheme (ETS2) and plans to phase out fossil fuel vehicles, he added, “Green taxes will undermine the stability of large cities, and climate transformation threatens the future of Poland.” He promised to invoke Article 125 of the Constitution for a referendum so that “all Poles should have the right to decide on a deal preventing Polish agriculture from functioning.”
Nawrocki’s position aligns with a growing European backlash against stringent green policies. A recent report by the centrist European People’s Party (EPP), the EU’s largest political group, calls for suspending the EU’s CO2 import tariffs and abolishing renewable energy targets. EPP leaders, including Ursula von der Leyen and Friedrich Merz, advocate for a “return to pre-2019 ‘green wave’ policies” to prioritise economic growth and reduce regulatory burdens on businesses and households.
This shift mirrors the actions of former U.S. President Donald Trump, who yesterday withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement for a second time, citing its failure to reflect “American taxpayer dollars” and calling it an agreement that did not “merit financial assistance in the interests of the American people.” Trump’s critique of international climate commitments resonates with those who argue they impose disproportionate costs on ordinary citizens.
Public discontent with the Green Deal has been evident, particularly following widespread protests by farmers last year. Nawrocki’s referendum proposal reflects a broader challenge to the EU’s green ideology, as European leaders increasingly question whether the push for climate policies is worth the economic strain on consumers and industries.
