Polish President Karol Nawrocki has formally launched an initiative to hold a national referendum on the country’s adherence to the European Union’s climate policies.
Announced on Thursday, May 7th, the proposal seeks to ask citizens whether they support the continued implementation of the Green Deal and the Emissions Trading System, which Nawrocki argues have triggered a catastrophic rise in energy prices and cost-of-living for households and the agricultural sector.
The proposed referendum would be scheduled for September 27th. However, Nawrocki faces a formidable institutional barrier: under the Polish Constitution, he requires the approval of the Senate to move forward.
Under the pro-EU ruling coalition—led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, controlling 63 of the 100 seats—the initiative is widely expected to be blocked. Government officials have already branded the move absurd, suggesting it is a political stunt designed to distract from the inherent costs of Poland’s long-standing ‘addiction’ to coal.
