(02 November 2021) – Withholding EU funds through ‘blackmail’ could endanger Poland’s energy transformation, warned Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on the sidelines of the COP26 summit in Glasgow yesterday.
Morawiecki was clear that if Poland participates comparably to other countries in achieving “ambitious climate goals”, they must be provided with the appropriate funds.
His comments come as Poland is set to get up to €57 billion in EU recovery funds, but the executive has withheld approval amid the ongoing standoff over the rule of law.
The European Commission has offered a roadmap for de-escalating a rule-of-law crisis with Poland, but for observers in Warsaw, it seems unlikely the Polish government will be ready to swallow the bitter pill since this would endanger the current ruling coalition.
In Glasgow, Poland made no specific commitments regarding the decarbonisation of the economy or moving away from coal, which provides around 70% of Poland’s energy. (Euractiv)